Emerald Island
by HungryHeart x
Summary: The svu take the trip of a lifetime and find themselves along the way!love/loss and adventure! All the gang are included!E/O F/M D/L AND MORE!9same author new name just :) )
1. Chapter 1

Emerald Island

By: Thane of Cawdor

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As Casey Melinda and Olivia watched the ending of _P.S. I Love You_ they all wept.

"How romantic is he?" sniffled Casey. She was a hopeless romantic. Always on the lookout for her prince charming. Olivia and Melinda looked at her somewhat puzzled. Yes they had all wept at the romantic movie but Casey was now in a full flood of tears and they couldn't understand why.

"It's ok Case, it's only a movie" said Olivia trying to comfort her friend." What's wrong Casey you never usually cry this hard when we watch romantic movies,whats got in to you?" Olivia was trying to comfort her best friend but it didn't seem to be working. What was up with her?

Both Melinda and Olivia sat trying to comfort Casey for about ten minutes before she stopped crying. But she said nothing. She got up off her chair and walked out of Olivia's apartment without saying anything.

"Ok what just happened?" asked Melinda. Olivia was speechless. She had never seen Casey like this before and it was scaring her a little. Why had Casey reacted so badly to this movie? They had no idea but both Melinda and Olivia were definitely going to find out.

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_**OK I know this is short but what do you guys think? Have big plans for this story but need to see what you guys are thinking first!**_

_**Please review! X**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Almost a week had passed since Melinda and Olivia had seen Casey and they were both worried. They had both called and text multiple times but she never answered. They went down to her office but were informed by Elizabeth Donnelly that she had taken two weeks of. Now they were really worried for Casey because this was really out of character for her.

"Where else could she be Liv? We've been to her house and to her office and we can't find her I'm really worried Liv" announced Melinda. Olivia was worried too. They both decided to go back and talk to Elizabeth and find out if she knew where Casey had gone.

"Olivia, Melinda twice in the one week should I be worried?" she asked with a slight chuckle but when she noticed that the two ladies standing before her didn't laugh she knew something was wrong. "Ladies is there something you're not telling me?" she questioned. Olivia was first to speak. "Look Liz we are worried about Casey nobody has seen or heard from her since last week and we were wondering if you knew where she had gone to?" Liz looked at the ladies and laughed.

"You're worried about Casey Novak? OH no don't be. She came to talk to me last week and asked for some time of she's going to Ireland for 10 days" Liz explained. "IRELAND?!" Asked Olivia and Melinda in unison. Then it clicked. She wanted her life to be like what Hilary Swank had in _P.S., I Love You._ Casey Novak was going to find her prince charming.

Olivia and Melinda thanked Liz and left her office to make their way back to the precinct to tell the others who had been a tad worried for their friend. On the drive to the precinct Olivia and Melinda were both thinking the same thing. They were thinking of how great it would be to go to Ireland and now they had the perfect excuse to go. But both were faced with the problem of leaving their partners for at least a week and getting time of.

The car ride to the precinct was silent as both ladies were deep in thought about how to make this work.

When they stepped into the elevator at the precinct both ladies looked at each other and laughed . They knew that they were thinking the exact same thing.

Over the past few years Olivia and Melinda had grown really close. Olivia had been glad to have a friend like Melinda who was always there for her and always kept her grounded. Even though both she and Melinda were in relationships they always made time to sit down and talk. Even if it was just meeting for a cup of coffee at lunch or going to the movies they were glad to spend time with each other.

They walked into the bullpen with huge smiles on their faces.

"Did you guys forget to take your pills this morning?" asked Munch as he peered over the top of his glasses. "Don't mind him guys did you find Casey?" asked Fin causing the ladies to burst into a fit of laughter. "Yes we did "said Melinda between Laughs "She's gone to Ireland"

This announcement was met by puzzled faces from Munch , Fin , Elliot , George and Cragen.

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So what do you think?Should I continue or not? please review :) x


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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"Ireland?" asked a rather surprised Captain Cragen.

"Yupp that's right. We figured that after watching P.S., I Love you on Saturday that she wanted to go." Explained Olivia, who had now moved to sit beside Elliot.

There were a few moments of silence. Nobody quite understood exactly why Casey would just up and leave without telling anybody but everyone was thinking the same thing – we should go to Ireland.

Just as Cragen stood up and was about to speak a surprisingly happy looking Chief of Ds walked into to precinct. The older man who was normally seen looking somewhat angry and frustrated when entering this particular precinct looked calm and happy. He simply nodded at the Captain and entered Cragen's office with Cragen following behind him quickly. Nobody knew why he was their paperwork was up to date , their case closure rate was still as great as ever and Elliot hadn't roughed any perps up lately so why was he here?

Munch was first to talk "It must be election time "he commented "why else would he be here, looking happy?"

"Come on Munch not again" whined Fin.

"Maybe he's right this time Fin because I sure as hell don't know why else he would be here, looking happy" said Olivia. Everyone was puzzled. Why was he here?

After over 40 minutes of waiting the Chief of Ds and Cragen emerged from Cragens office. They both had a huge grin on their face.

"Will I tell them the news or should I let you have the honour Don? Asked the Chief of Ds

"No I think you should tell them "said Cragen. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they heard the news. The detectives held their breath as the Chief spoke.

"As you all know very well this is in no way an easy job. The horrific subject matter of these cases are more than a person can take at the best of times. This is also the unit with the highest case closure rate, something you all should pride yourselves with that all said , to reward this unit you have been awarded a 2 week vacation all expenses paid to a destination of your choice and before you all worry the neighbouring boroughs will take on your cases. You all deserve a break and a reward for the dedication you show on a daily basis."

Everyone was stunned. They didn't know which was better , 2 weeks away from work or 2 weeks away anywhere in the world they wanted to go.

"Now if you all excuse me" continued the chief "I have some other business to attend to. Your 2 week vacation begins in two days so that should give everyone adequate time to decide where to go ,just pass the information onto me when you have it sorted Don, and you will fly away for your well-deserved break" and with a smile he departed.

"Did that really just happen?" asked a still shocked Elliot Stabler.

"You bet your ass it did Stabler" said the captain.

"Ok guys hold up, I know this is the opportunity of a lifetime but I think we all know where we should go right?" asked Olivia.

It's not that Olivia wanted to take charge of the situation but she knew that Casey was part of this unit, family even, and right now they were worried about her.

"Ireland it is!" shouted Munch. His statement was met with cheers from the rest of the group.

As no new cases or leads came in all day Cragen sent everyone home.

Fin and Melinda went to the apartment they had been sharing for the last 2 months and immediately began packing and making lists of what had to be done before Friday the day they were due to leave for Ireland.

Elliot and Olivia went home to the apartment they were now sharing. Two months after Kathy left Elliot and took the kids with her Elliot stirred up the courage and told Olivia how he felt about her. After 13 years of sharing the same feelings Olivia was over the moon when Elliot proclaimed his love for her.

As they drove to their apartment Olivia knew there was something that she had to do before going to Ireland but decided it was best to keep it to herself for a while.

When they stepped inside the apartment they both ran to the bedroom. They were so excited to go away for the first time together. They began to pack as well but in the back of Olivia's mind she knew something wasn't quite right with her.

Don Cragen sat patiently in an up-scale restraint waiting on the love of his life to come. He knew she would be thrilled to hear his good news and he hoped that she could also get time of work to come with him. He wanted everyone to know about his new relationship and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity.

He was brought out of his thought when he heard the clicking of heels against hard wood floor step closer to him. He looked up and spotted his lover standing next to him.

"Sorry I'm late honey I had some paperwork to finish" she said apologetically before kissing him on the cheek.

"It's ok I haven't been waiting you're not going to believe what happened today? "replied Cragen "the Chief of Ds came by earlier and informed us that we were all getting two weeks off work and an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere we want because of our great work" the words poured out of him full of excitement and happiness.

He was so proud of his unit they all worked well together and he knew that he didn't have to worry. They were professionals and always had each others back.

"That's amazing Don. You deserve two whole weeks without you, what am I going to do? And where are you going?" said Liz

"Well actually that's the thing Liz I was wondering if you would come with me. It's all above-board too we are allowed 10 people on this all expenses paid trip. I want to make this, us, public" while saying that Don had never been so nervous. Inside he was praying she would say yes but in the back of his mind he was afraid he was rushing things."I would love to Don" replied Elizabeth Donnelly before planting a kiss on the man of her dreams lips.

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Ok guys what do you think? Should I continue? And what is Liv hiding?

Review please x


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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It was now Thursday and everyone was busy packing and making last-minute preparations before they leave for Ireland early on Friday was everyone except Olivia Benson. She had told Elliot that she had a dentist appointment to get out of the house without arousing suspicion. As she waited patiently in Dr Khadim's office in the hospital her head was spinning thinking about all the possibilities that could be wrong with her. She was scared.

As she sat thinking and patiently waiting she was brought out of her thoughts as her doctor entered the room. He didn't look happy which worried her more.

"Olivia we have found a lump" he said "we aren't sure if it is cancerous yet but we need to run some more tests before we know for definite. We can get the tests done now or we can wait until this has sunk in a little more" Olivia just sat in silence. She could feel her eyes begin to fill with tears but bravely pushed them down."Um I am going on holidays tomorrow so I would prefer to just get the tests done today if that's ok?"She asked.

As the doctor continued to tell her about what has to be done her mind drifted to Elliot. How was she going to tell him this? She knew he would be there for her through everything if the diagnosis was bad but she knew that Elliot wanted to have kids with her and this could ruin those chances. I can't worry she thought I have to stay positive.

She cleared her mind long enough to hear the doctor say that even if the tests were carried out today it would be at least two weeks before the results came back. She asked him what he thought it might be. "It's too early to jump to conclusions yet but it looks like you have breast cancer, but that said it looks like we caught it early enough to treat it "he replied. "If it were to be cancer "she continued "would it affect my chances of getting pregnant? And what would be the best treatment for someone like me? "She asked.

As Dr Khadim explained it might not be cancer but if it was the best treatment for her would be to have a double mastectomy which would not affect her chances of getting pregnant severely and has the best success rate. He also suggested that she freeze her eggs if she was worried about conceiving a child after her treatment.

After all the tests were completed and she had any questions she had answered Olivia left the hospital and headed home. She was exhausted and just wanted to go home and sleep but then she remembered that she was leaving tomorrow and that she still had a few things to get before she left.

She went to the store and got everything she needed. She also bought some wine and chocolate and a movie because she felt like snuggling up on the sofa with Elliot. She wasn't tired anymore. She had decided that she was going to stay positive and have a great night with Elliot and have a great vacation with the people she loved.

As Olivia drove home Elliot sat at home finishing up packing and making sure he had everything he needed with him. Ever since he had moved in with Olivia he had realised that Olivia was super organised. She had a place for everything and everything was in its place. There was only one room in Olivia's office that he had never been in it but knew that both their passports were in their and needed to have them ready for leaving tomorrow so he decided to look in it.

He didn't think that he was doing anything wrong but at the same time he was a bit scared that Olivia would catch him. His hands were shaking as he pulled open the drawer. He began to search through the drawer for their passports but as he rustled through the papers something caught his eye. It was a sonogram dated November 12th was shocked. Olivia never said anything about being pregnant before? Maybe it wasn't Olivia's he thought. But why would she have it if it wasn't hers? He had no idea about this sonogram but didn't know if he should ask Olivia about decided to quickly dropped the sonogram and continued to look for their passports. Just as he found them something else caught his eye it was Serena's will. She had left Olivia over 3.5 million in her will. His eyes widened with surprise. He heard Olivia close the door behind her as she entered the apartment. He panicked and chucked everything into the drawer but remembered to keep the passports out.

"Elliot are you here?" Olivia yelled from the kitchen.

As she turned she saw Elliot standing leaning against the door to her bedroom. She was a lucky girl she thought. She had loved him for 13 years and now she had him. He was hers and she would do all she could to keep it that way. She loved him so much and couldn't wait to spend two whole weeks with him in Ireland.

"I love you too Liv" he said with a smile. The two had been so close for so long that he could read her mind.

"Don't flatter yourself Stabler"she said with a mischievous grin "I was just thinking about Richard Gere" she let out a giggle as she took the movie Pretty Woman out of her bag.

Elliot rolled his eyes. Not again he thought, but he knew that Olivia loved all those kind of movies and they always made her happy so he knew that if his partner was happy he would be happy.

When all the groceries were put away and both Liv and El knew they were fully packed they made some popcorn, opened a bottle of wine and snuggled in beside each other on the sofa and watched Pretty Woman.

They awoke the next morning to the sound of their alarm – it was time to go to Ireland!

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PLEASE REVIEW!

Bet you all didn't see that coming ;) got big ideas for this story but let me know what everyone thinks so I know to continue!

Go raibh maith agat ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I own have and probably never will.

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Across town Melinda and Fin were abruptly woke by the ringing of their alarm. Today was the day. They were heading away to Ireland. It was nice to have a break but for these two it was more. Both Fin and Melinda saw it as a sort of test to their relationship. They had been together for 4 months now and moved in to a new apartment together 2 months ago but they still felt like this trip could change everything. It was going to be the first time they were going to be so public with their relationship. Of course everyone knew they were together now but they had kept everything very private, intimate. But it had worked for them.

As Melinda groggily rose from the bed she leaned over and kissed Fin lightly on the cheek.

"I won't be long in the shower honey "she whispered mischievously in his ear. Suddenly Fin jumped from the bed and ran for the bathroom. After living with Melinda for 2 months he really only had one complaint – she took _forever_ in the shower. So he decided he would get in first.

Melinda knew he would run but it gave her time to check and make sure everything was packed. She then went and got herself a shower, she wasn't going to let Fin hog all the hot water.

She walked tentatively towards the bathroom door and could hear Fin loved it when he sang. She opened the door as quietly as possible because she wanted to surprise him. She got in to the bathroom and got undressed without him far do good she thought. As she stepped into the shower Fin turned around and screamed. She really had scared him.

"Mel what the hell baby you scared the crap out of me "he said still clearly shocked. Melinda was too busy laughing at him to reply. She was laughing so hard she had tears streaming from her eyes. Fin just watched her and a huge grin grew across his face.

He loved her smile. In fact he loved everything about her. Her smile, her laugh, just everything. She was perfect to him and he had never felt love like this before.

After Melinda regained composure she and Fin both got washed and after 20 minutes in the shower they were both all cleaned and ready to get dressed.

As they were getting dressed they both tried to keep two things in mind – They were going to be stuck on a plane for about 7 hours and when they got off that plane it would be cold , and most likely wet too.

It was now 5 am and Melinda and Fin were ready to go. They left the apartment and put their luggage into the back of Fin's big black they had to go to John's house and collect him then collect Olivia and Elliot and take them all to the airport.

He had asked Cragen if he had wanted a ride but he declined and said he had some news to tell them at the airport. He was slightly worried because usually if Cragen had something to say he would just say itched really hoped there was nothing wrong with the captain.

George had called everyone last night and told them he couldn't come because he had some patients to see and his boyfriend was coming from Chicago to see him this weekend. Everyone was a little disappointed that George wasn't coming but was still excited about their trip.

After Fin had collected everyone and he and Elliot had wrestled all the luggage into the trunk they headed to the airport. When they arrived they noticed Cragen sitting with his arm around a woman. Immediately Olivia's heart melted. She was so happy for Don. He was like a father to her, a father she had never had. As they got closer they could see the smile on Don's faced but couldn't quite make out who the woman was.

"Hey Captain" Olivia shouted as she waved her arms to get his attention. As he turned around they found out who the woman was, it was Elizabeth Donnelly. Olivia's heart almost exploded with happiness. She knew Liz would never hurt Don and she knew that Don would never hurt Liz. In her eyes it was a match made in heaven.

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_Ok so any comments?_

_Please R&R_

_I know some people don't want Olivia to get cancer and that it's been done to many times before but this isn't one of those stories .I've got a few twists planned __so stay tuned__….xD_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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Once everyone had greeted the captain and he had informed them of his relationship with Elizabeth everyone boarded their flight. It was now 8 am and everyone was tired due to their early they got onto their flight they noticed there was nobody else on board , and nobody else seemed to be joining them.

"Private flight from the Chief of Ds, I'm telling you guys something's up" Munch said as he peered over his glasses.

"Hold on Munch "said Cragen "there's a note here". He lifted the note and read it aloud to the gang.

_ "Captain Cragen and members of the Special Victims Unit,_

_ As there were no flights to Ireland planned today we have _

_Acquired a private plane for you. This is not at your disposal_

_at any time only to take you to your destination and back._

_Enjoy your well-deserved vacation" _

"Well that seems quite self-explanatory everyone so let's just sit down and relax and wait for take-off" announced Cragen.

Everyone took their seats. Elliot and Olivia were beside each other as were Fin and Melinda and Cragen and Liz. John who wasn't a very good traveller sat on his own near the back of the plane and popped two sleeping pills before take-off. When he awoke he was in Ireland, the Emerald Isle.

Ireland had never been a place he had thought of going. He preferred to go somewhere more exotic when he had the chance but he knew that he had to join the group to help Casey. Before he left he read up on some Irish History. As he read about the IRA and about the troubles in Northern Ireland he was intrigued, maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all he thought.

As everyone shuffled tiredly off the plane Olivia noticed Don and Liz holding hands. She couldn't help but let an "awww" escape from her lips. She was so happy for him. Both Liz and Don turned around to see Olivia giggle. They both blushed but felt at ease in their relationship.

Meanwhile Fin and Melinda were talking about Olivia. She looked pale and a little weak but hadn't mentioned that she felt ill. They just brushed it off by saying that she might not have been a good traveller.

Within the next hour everyone had claimed their luggage and were on a mini – bus and on their way to Donegal.

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Just a small kind of filler chapter

Hope you guys like it! Next chapter searching for Casey and Olivia gets a call from the doctor….

_PLEASE REVIEW?!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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After a four-hour bus journey from Dublin to Donegal the SVU squad had reached the large house they had rented for two weeks. It was a huge house built on a 3 acre farm surrounded by trees and fields. It was picturesque, like something from a movie. Once Olivia stepped out of the mini-bus she took a deep breath of fresh air. It was so different to the city. Everything seemed so fresh and pure and to Olivia it had seemed perfect. She loved the countryside but never really got to spend much time there because she was always working. She had always dreamt of moving to the countryside with her husband when she retired. She smiled as she thought this would be the perfect place for her and Elliot to spend their old age at.

As everyone walked up to the front door of the lavish house the door swung open and a young girl about 16 or 17 years old appeared.

"Hello my name is Ciara, welcome to Manor House" she smiled as she introduced herself and extended her hand to Don.

"You must be the owner of the house?" he questioned as he returned the handshake.

"No "she replied with a giggle "My Grandma Catherine owns the house but she is a bit poorly at the moment and asked if I would take care of this for her. So I am here to show you around the house and the estate and answer any questions you may have. Now would you like to come inside and I will show you around the house?"

Olivia was immediately drawn to this girl. There was something about her that Olivia seemed to recognise and she wasn't the only one.

Elliot eyed the young girl too, she looked so familiar but how could he know her?

As everyone stepped inside she counted how many people were there. There were 7 in total.

"Sorry to be so blunt but is there any couples here? Maybe who would like to share a room? We can get you to your rooms first?" Ciara looked around and seen 6 hands in the air.

"Ok "she continued follow me she said and everyone picked up their luggage and followed her through the hallway and up the stairs. On her way up the stairs Olivia admired the paintings of lakes and castles. As a matter of fact she admired everything, the dark mahogany staircase, the hard wood floors the large windows that looked across a vast lake – just like the one in the pictures. She loved this place; it was like nothing she had ever seen before.

Ciara led everyone into the first bedroom. It was very modern compared to the rest of the house and had a king size bed in it and an adjoining bathroom. Fin and Melinda looked at each other and in unison said "we will take this room "."Very well "said Ciara and led the rest of the group into the next room that was next door to Fin and Melinda.

The next room had a more homely feel to was cosy and not as big as Fin and Melinda's but still as nice. Don and Liz decided to take that room and next Olivia and Elliot got their room. It was across the hall from Don and Liz and was huge. Olivia joked that it was almost as big as her apartment. Last to get their room was John as he was the only single person in the group. His room was next to Olivia and Elliot's.

"You two better not keep me up all night with your fooling around" he smirked as he peered over his dark glasses. Olivia blushed as did Ciara who was standing next to John. Elliot just nudged John and told him not to be jealous. As Ciara excused herself to let everyone unpack and relax for a while before showing them around town Olivia's phone rang – it was Dr Khadim.

Olivia went into the bathroom and locked the door. She didn't want Elliot to know who she was talking to.

"Hello Olivia?" asked the doctor

"Yes this is she" replied Olivia nervously.

"We have the results of your tests here and I'm glad to let you know that it is not cancer. We got the results of your tests back quicker than expected. Although this is good news on further tests it was revealed that you carry a gene that can increase the risk of breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two major genes that when they mutate can cause breast cancer. These genes can be passed from parent to child, increasing the risk of developing cancer in a child that have parent carrying these genes." As the doctor continued to inform Olivia about the genes she had inherited she wasn't even listening properly. She was just so glad that it wasn't cancer. She realised Dr Khadim was still talking and began to listen again "BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are located on chromosome 17 and chromosome 13 respectively. There is a 90% chance of developing breast cancer for a woman that has these mutated genes. In contrast, men carrying BRCA1 have no risk to develop breast cancer, but those carrying BRCA2 genes have high risk. It is important to note that mutations in these genes can be passed on to children by either parent. A man with a mutation is just as likely to pass this gene to his children as a woman with a mutation. Hereditary cancer occurs at young age, for instance a woman in her 20's with breast cancer is more likely to have hereditary type of cancer that a woman in her 50's."

"Hold on doctor, are you telling me that I'm at risk of getting cancer?" she asked.

"Well yes Olivia it is something you might like to think about. But it doesn't necessarily mean that you will get cancer many people don't, I just want you to be informed. As of right now you are in perfect health."

As the doctor finished what he had to say Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. She could now spend the rest of her holidays without having to worry about her health too much. She thanked the doctor for calling and hung up the phone. As she walked back into her room she noticed Ciara go into a small room at the end of the hall. 'Maybe she lives here' she thought and continued into her and Elliot's room. Again her phone started to ring this time it was Casey. She quickly answered the phone.

"Casey honey where are you? We have tried to get in touch with you for over a week! "She almost shouted down the phone." And we have all flown to Ireland to see you" Olivia added.

"Oh Liv you didn't need to I'm fine I'm working on a farm!" she shrieked with joy.

"A farm?" asked Olivia. She would never have looked for always smart ADA Casey Novak on a farm.

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OK guys reviews are very much appreciated! Tell me what you think so far.

This isn't the end of Olivia's illness either and a lot more fun to come when the group go the the farm where Casey has begun to work.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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Olivia stood stunned at what she had just heard. Casey Novak working on a farm? Who would have guessed!

"Liv honey what's wrong? Was that Casey on the phone?" asked Elliot

"Yeah she just told me that she's ok and that she's working on a farm "Olivia replied.

"A farm? Like with animals and dirt?"

"Yeah she said she works on a farm. Maybe we should ask Ciara if she knows Casey?" responded Olivia.

Elliot just nodded his head in response. He then followed Olivia down the hall to the small door she saw Ciara go into earlier and knocked lightly. There was no answer so Olivia knocked again loudly, this time Ciara came to the door.

"Sorry to annoy you Ciara but we are looking for our friend Casey –"Olivia was cut off by Ciara's response.

"Casey Novak right? She's the new American girl working at the farm I work at down in Termon."

"Yeah that's her "Olivia said. She was still shocked at how Ciara knew straight away who she was talking about.

"Listen guys I am really sorry but it's getting late I really have to go and finish my assignments but I will take you all to see Casey tomorrow. She isn't far away and she has settled in well. Now if you will excuse me I have stuff to do" and with that Ciara closed the door.

Olivia and Elliot just looked at each other in shock. This girl who had seemed so friendly and helpful earlier had basically just shut the door in the faces. Her behaviour had both detectives baffled. Olivia gave Elliot a questioning look. He didn't know what was going on so he just shrugged his shoulders in reply.

Meanwhile Liz and Don were unpacking some of their clothes and hanging them in the closet. As Liz was almost finished Don stopped what he was doing and watched her. He was mesmerised by her every movement. To him she was perfect. Liz could feel Don's eyes on her and she loved it. She too thought that Don was perfect. He was caring and gentle yet strong and protective and he always said the sweetest things to her. Each day she was with him she thanked her lucky stars.

When they had both finished unpacking and had everything packed away they climbed into their luxurious king size bed. Liz scooted in tight to Don's chest and he kissed her on the head lightly before wrapping his arms around her. It wasn't long before they drifted asleep.

Fin and Melinda were both in bed too. It had been a long day and they both thought they should get a good nights sleep and be well rested for tomorrows adventures. That was easier said than done. Both Fin and Melinda were excited about how their relationship was always changing for the better. Each day they spent together they fell even deeper and deeper in love with one another – something they thought was impossible. As the hours ticked past the two lovers eventually fell asleep. Fin with his arms protectively around Melinda and Melinda with her head placed on Fin's chest.

John was rudely brought from his dreams by the sound of screams coming from next door. Ciara's room. He didn't know whether or not to intervene but as the screams faded away he decided not to do anything. He thought maybe she was just having a nightmare and it would pass so he snuggled back under the covers and tried to get back to sleep.

About fifteen minutes louder John heard the screams again but this time he could hear Ciara crying. He got out of bed and went out to the hall to see what was going on. When he went into the hall he noticed that Liz and Olivia were standing outside Ciara's bedroom door in their pyjamas.

"You guys heard it too then" he asked Olivia and Liz. They both nodded their head in agreement. Everyone stood out in the hall until the screaming and cries seemed to stop.

Suddenly Ciara burst through the door and ran down the stairs. Shocked by the initial surprise it took the two detectives and Liz a second to regain their composure. They all looked at each other.

"Maybe you two should go and see if she is ok" said John. It wasn't that he didn't want to help but he thought that maybe Ciara would prefer to talk to a woman. Liz and Olivia completely understood and went downstairs. They found Ciara curled up like a ball on the couch. Olivia took charge of the situation and was the first to speak.

"Ciara, honey, are you ok?" She asked trying not to startle the teenage girl. They took a step closer and Ciara turned around to them. Both Olivia and Liz gasped in shock.

Ciara's face was cut and bruised almost all over. She had a deep cut on her head and the blood was pouring out of it.

Olivia looked at Liz and said "Go upstairs and get Melinda and tell her to bring her first aid kit with her" without delay Liz almost ran up the stairs and got Melinda.

"Ciara honey what happened to you?" Olivia said in a comforting voice.

"Its nothing really she sobbed, I just got into another fight. I'll be fine" she replied as she tried to rub her tears away.

Olivia understood that Ciara probably didn't want to talk to her. After all she was basically a stranger to Ciara. Ciara suddenly turned to Olivia and began to sob into her chest. Olivia was overcome with emotion.

She remembered all the times when she was in high school and had either been in a fight or had come home to her drunken mother and had gotten one of her weekly beatings. She wished that this hadn't happened to Ciara. She seemed so innocent when she first met her and she also seemed familiar but now she lay sobbing into Olivia's chest and seemed broken and lonely.

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Ok reviews please : D


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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Within a few moments Liz and Melinda came downstairs. Melinda had brought her first aid kit with her just as Liz had told Melinda saw how badly beaten and bruised Ciara's face was her heart dropped. She felt so bad for this innocent little girl. Even though Ciara was 16 she was still so innocent. Then Melinda looked at Olivia and noticed she had been crying. Liz noticed this too.

"Ciara why don't you come over here to the table to I get you cleaned up honey ok?" Melinda asked. At this time Ciara was too exhausted to put up a fight and slowly got up from the sofa and sat on the chair at the kitchen table and let Melinda clean her up.

Liz went over to Olivia and gave her a reassuring hug. She knew that Olivia had had a tough childhood but didn't know the exact details of what she had went through. She also knew that Olivia was always affected by what she saw in her job, which was understandable. Olivia leaned into Liz and began to sob. Liz had never seen her this vulnerable and it worried her a bit.

Melinda was almost finished cleaning Ciara's face.

"Honey do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked sympathetically.

"Some girls were saying stuff about my mom when I went to the shop tonight and when I told them to back off they all jumped me.I am ok though its not the first time" Ciara said strongly as though she had something to prove.

"Ciara that doesn't matter. Those girls shouldn't do this. Have you told your mom?"

"My mom died three years ago. She overdosed so now I live her with my grandma but she is really sick. She doesn't have long left so it's basically just me" Melinda could see the tears well up in Ciara's eyes.

"Do you have nobody else you can talk to? Maybe a teacher or a friend?" Melinda said as she placed her hand on Ciara's back trying to comfort her a little.

"No its just me.I have no other family my dad died when I was little and my grandpa died last September so I'm all alone. I don't go to school either. I dropped out when I was 16 but I do a hairdressing course twice a week. I really have nobody" As the last few words slipped from Ciara's mouth tears began to flow once again down her face but this time Melinda was there to comfort her.

The night drew on and after a few hours talking everyone went back to bed. Ciara seemed to be ok as did Olivia. The women talked to Ciara about what she was going through and shared some of their own experiences with her. Ciara had told them how she worked two jobs just to feed her and her grandma who was suffering from end stage kidney failure and how she rented out houses like the one they were staying in for extra money. She also told them how she never gets time for herself. She never has a break and always has something to do. After what they had heard Liz, Olivia and Melinda asked Ciara if she would like to go shopping with them tomorrow .At first she declined but when the women told her they needed her help getting around she agreed.

Inside Ciara was excited. All of these women had been so nice to her and she liked the thought of having some time to do what she wanted. She just hoped that the marks on her face had faded by morning time.

As morning approached Ciara woke up and felt like a weight had been lifted of her shoulders. Last night was the first time she had really told anybody her life story. She got out of bed and looked in the mirror. Her face didn't look too bad and she thought if she put some make-up on she would look fine. She looked at her alarm clock. 7 am. That meant she had enough time to get showered and dressed before she made a start on breakfast for all the guests.

When Ciara had finished getting washed and dressed and had applied some make-up she went downstairs. She was surprised to see everyone sitting around the table eating breakfast. Everyone looked so happy. They looked like one big, loving, happy family. When she looked again she noticed that there was a place set for her. She looked at Liz who nodded for her to sit beside her so she did. Over breakfast everyone talked and asked Ciara what life was like in Ireland. She told them the usual bad weather stories but that she loved living in Donegal and how she loved the outdoors. She was glad that none of the women had brought up the events of last night in front of the men.

After breakfast was finished everyone helped clean up. Then they decided what they were going to do for the day.

"Well guys, we came here to find Casey so I think we should go see her first "said Olivia. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Ciara organised a mini-bus to come and collect everyone and take them to the farm where Casey and her worked at in Termon.

On the way there everyone was astonished by the beautiful landscapes. Everything seemed so simple and pure yet perfect. They drove past the lake that was in the pictures along the staircase, and past Glenveagh castle and then past Glebe Gallery. Everything was so beautiful.

As they pulled up to the farm they couldn't believe their eyes. There stood Casey Novak in a pair of wellies covered in mud.

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_**Please review guys! It means a lot to me when you do and I want to know what you guys think! Next chapter there will be some fun on the farm with Casey and heartbreak for Ciara. Also some joy for Liz and Don! Thanks for reading**_

_**Hungry Heart x**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Ciara honey I was just about to come get you. I am so sorry but something bad has happened" spoke Casey softly as everyone got out of the mini-bus. She had a dreaded look on her face. She continued "Ciara its your grandma she she" stammered Casey. "Ciara your grandma died last night. I only just found her. I am so sorry" by this point both Casey and Ciara were in floods of tears.

Ciara couldn't believe it. She knew her grandma was going to die but didn't think she would go so soon. Then it hit her. She was now alone. She had nobody left.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Liz and Olivia enveloped her in a big hug. Olivia and Liz both knew that Ciara was now on her own and knew that they needed to help this girl through her hard time.

Ciara had wanted to go and see her grandma for one last time. Liz and Don offered to take her to the hospital. When they reached the hospital Ciara asked if Liz would come with he because she didn't want to be alone. Liz caringly took Ciara's hand as they walked into the hospital. Don waited in the car.

As he sat waiting he took a small velvet box from his pocket. He had planned to propose to Liz today. When he woke up this morning it just felt like the right time. He had bought the ring after he and Liz spent their first night together. He knew from that day on that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this spectacular woman. Now he wasn't sure if it was the right time or not. It might seem a bit insensitive towards Ciara he thought. He also thought about how his gut feeling had never let him down before and he knew that if he couldn't trust his gut instinct that maybe he was in the wrong line of work. After a further 10 or so minutes of contemplation he decided that tonight was the night, he was going to ask Judge Elizabeth Donnelly for her hand in marriage.

Not long after Liz and Ciara appeared from the hospital. It was obvious that Ciara had been crying but that was to be expected. Liz and Ciara both got into the back of the car and Liz gave Don a nod as he looked at her using the mirror. They wanted to go straight home. Although the drive was only short Ciara fell asleep. Don carried her up to her room and Liz tucked her into bed and gave her a gentle kiss on the head. Even though she had only met this girl she felt like they had a special connection and already cared deeply for her.

When the returned downstairs they noticed that Fin and Melinda were missing.

"Where are Fin and Mel gone to?" inquired Don.

"Melinda wasn't feeling well so she went to bed and Fin went with her to keep an eye on her" replied Olivia.

Upstairs Fin was waiting nervously for Melinda to reappear from the bathroom. As she walked through the door she just nodded at Fin and walked over to the bad and sat beside him.

He looked at her and she looked back at him with the widest of grins.

"Its positive isn't it baby?" he asked excitedly.

Melinda couldn't even speak. She just nodded and began to cry. She was over the moon and was even happier that she would be carrying Fin's baby. He really was the love of her life.

She had thought for a while now that there was a chance she was pregnant but didn't want to say anything until she was sure. Now that she was sure she wanted to shout it from the rooftops but new that it wasn't the right time to tell. She and Fin both decided to wait until after Ciara's grandma's funeral.

As they returned to the living room they were glad to see that Don and Liz had returned.

"How are you feeling now Mel?" asked Olivia

"I'm fine now I think I was just a little overwhelmed by today's events" she replied with a reassuring smile.

Everyone continued with small chit-chat until John interrupted everyone.

"I know that today has been a long day but seen as we have Casey back with us again I think she owes us an explanation" stated John boldly. He got a few not so pleasant looks but he needed to know what was going on with his friend. He turned to look at Casey.

"Guys I am so sorry for dragging you all here and for worrying all of you. I am really sorry but I just had to get away. I guess I am going through some sort of mid-life crisis. After watching that movie I just thought that I am wasting my life away I wanted to live a little and get away from paedophiles and rapists and just expand my horizon a little. I didn't call anyone because it all happened so quickly but I knew that once I got here that my life wasn't so bad and that I really missed you guys. I think I'm over my crisis now" she finished with a little giggle.

"So you are coming back to New York with us at the end of the trip?" asked Elliot.

"I was going to fly back with you guys but I don't know if I can just leave Ciara guys, she has nobody else we've checked"

"We?" asked John while peering over the top of his glasses suggestively.

"Yes John we, as in Ciara and I" she giggled lightly and continued "her dad is dead and so is her mother and her grandma was the only person she had left and now she is gone too. She is only 16 and she hasn't got it easily. She can barely go to the local shop without getting teased or beaten up. I feel so bad for her and we have really connected I can't just abandon her now" explained Casey.

"We understand how you feel Casey, from the first time we met Casey I think its safe to say we were all immediately drawn to her. There is just something about her" said Liz. Everyone nodded in agreement. There were a few moments of silence while everyone thought about Ciara and what was going to happen to her. The only person not thinking of Ciara was Don. He thought this would be a good time to ask Liz to marry him. He slowly got to his feet and everyone turned to look at him. He walked over to where Liz was sitting and went down on one knee. Everyone's mouth dropped open – they were not expecting this.

"Elizabeth Donnelly will you do me the biggest honour and become my wife?"

"Donald Cragen you know I will" replied Elizabeth with the widest of grins before leaping on him and giving him a passionate kiss.

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Ok guys opinions are welcome

Thank you for reading


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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Don actually couldn't believe it. He had wanted her to say yes so badly but thought it was just wishful thinking. But she did, she said yes. He was now engaged to the love of his life and felt like it was all a dream, a beautiful dream.

Next to hug him was Olivia. She too was delighted for the man whom she thought of as her father. He deserved some happiness and Liz was the perfect woman to provide that for him.

"I'm so happy for you dad" Olivia had called him dad. She didn't mean to and tried to cover it up "I'm so happy for you Don" she stated quickly. As the words sunk in Don raised his head to look Olivia square in the eye. He looked directly into her beautiful brown eyes and said "Thank you, daughter"

In that moment Olivia felt her world stop. Everything seemed perfect to her. She was surrounded by people who loved her, had the man of her dreams with her and now felt like she really was part of a family and Don was her father. Words escaped Olivia and a solitary tear of joy rolled down her cheek.

Congratulations were said and everyone's spirits seemed to have been lifted by Dons shock announcement. The group was broken from their celebrations as Ciara appeared at the living room door. She looked rested and a lot better than before. Olivia walked over to where Ciara stood and placed an arm around her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Are you ok sweetie?" asked Olivia quietly.

"Yeah I'm fine I just came down to say congratulations to Liz and Don" everyone looked at Ciara quizzically "Thin walls" she replied with a giggle.

"Tell me about it" interrupted John "I have to sleep next door to Olivia and Elliot or should I say 'El baby'" the room erupted in laughter except for Olivia and Elliot who turned a bright shade of red.

The rest of the night was spent talking about various things like Don and Liz's wedding plans and Casey's plans for the future. Melinda also asked Ciara what she was going to do about her grandma's funeral. She had told them that she and Liz had everything planned and that it was tomorrow morning. She explained that when her grandma found out she was going to die she had planned her funeral. Everything had been planned down to the last detail so that Ciara wouldn't have to worry.

At around 3 o' clock in the morning everyone agreed that they should go to bed as they had a funeral to attend tomorrow. Ciara insisted that they didn't have to go and she had already caused enough hassle on their holiday but they had told her they would all be there to support her. She loved the feeling of being included in this group but knew it would soon come to an end.

The next morning everyone appeared in the living room at around 8 o clock. Everyone was dressed in black sombre looking clothes. Everyone ate breakfast in silence and went in the mini-bus to the church. The service was different to anything anyone had ever been at. But at the same time it was a beautiful service and everyone hoped that it would give Ciara the closure she needed. The rest of the day was spent at the house. Nobody felt like doing anything. They ordered take out from the local Chinese but nothing much else happened. The group had only been here for three days and so much had happened yet they hadn't done anything .They hadn't done anything fun yet but Olivia was plotting a plan what to do tomorrow to cheer everyone and she hoped everyone liked it.

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Ok guys I know its short but I didn't want to dwell on the sadness too much. The next chapter will show more EO because I feel Elliot has been left out a little. Casey also realises what has been in front of her all this time….

Please R&R! Thanks for reading x


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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Elliot awoke the next morning to the sound of Olivia on the phone.

"Ok thank you very much" was all he heard her say before she hung up. As she turned around to get back into bed she realised that Elliot was awake.

"Well good morning sleepy I hope you weren't listening to my little conversation there were you?" she questioned playfully as she snuggled in against Elliot's muscular chest. He shifted slightly in the bed and looked at her suspiciously.

"Detective Benson what are you planning?"

"Now now Detective Stabler that would ruin the surprise I have planned for everybody and no I won't tell you no matter how much you beg me" replied Olivia. Elliot knew there was no point in trying because Olivia was one of the most stubborn people he had ever met but he loved that about her. He simply just shrugged his shoulders and cuddled with Olivia until it was time to get out of bed.

When the pair eventually decided to get out of bed they headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. Everyone else was already there chatting among themselves. Everyone seemed happy including Ciara. As Elliot got him and Olivia some cereal Olivia began to talk.

"Ok everyone I have taken it upon myself to plan a day full of activities for everyone. Now that we have successfully found Casey and everything else has been sorted I think it is time we started to have some fun. We are on a vacation after all" as she paused for breath she noticed how excited everyone looked and couldn't wait to hear what she had planned for them. She then continued "I have planned a day of shopping for us girls in Belfast. I have booked us a plane to take us there too. Now the boys I have planned for you to go Go-Karting and then a game of paintball. It is almost ten now so we all have to be ready to leave at 11 and everyone has to meet back here at 7 P.M. Then I have planned for us to go for a meal and go to the theatre to see the local production of Calendar Girls. Before you start John yes you do have to go and no you don't have a choice". As she finished her speech everyone just looked at her quizzically. How did she have time to plan all of this they thought. They knew better than to question the detective and everyone began to rush up stairs to get ready.

As the room cleared the only people left were Olivia, Elliot and Ciara.

"Are you not going to get ready Ciara?" asked Elliot

"You mean I'm invited?" asked Ciara in response.

"Of course you are sweetie" responded Olivia. Ciara's smile was enough to warm any heart at that moment. As she made her way to the door she stopped and turned back before running over to Olivia and Elliot and giving them both a hug. Elliot was a little surprised at the action but felt that this little girl just needed some love and attention, much like Olivia when they had first met.

When they were the only two left in the kitchen Elliot scooted over to sit beside Olivia. He took her hand in his and began

"Liv you are such an amazing person. I can't believe you went to all this trouble to cheer everyone up. I love you" He leaned in close and gently placed a loving kiss on her lips. "But I have no idea how you are going to be able to afford a plane for just you and the girls for the day" He knew she had money ever since he had seen the letter in her drawer while looking for their passports. He hoped that she would tell him now.

"Actually El I can afford it. When my mum died she left me some money. Turns out she had quite the bank balance she left me almost 4 million." She looked at Elliot expecting him to be a little upset that she had never told him this before but instead was met with another loving kiss from her lover.

"Oh Olivia Anne Benson I love you even more now" he stated jokingly. She playfully slapped him on the arm before she got up to go and get ready. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped and turned to Elliot and gave him a playful grin. She had never seen him jump up so quickly and laughed. He knew exactly what that grin meant.

When they were inside their bedroom with the door closed Olivia almost pounced on Elliot. She kissed him passionately as his hands moved all over her body. Olivia broke from their kiss before nodding her head towards the bathroom. Elliot eyed her somewhat confused.

"Well we do need to get ready detective" she stated. He now fully understood. He picked Olivia up in one swift movement before carrying her into the bathroom. He let her down gently before they both began to discard their clothing. As Olivia was still taking her clothes off Elliot turned on the shower thankful that there was still some hot water left. When he turned to Olivia this time she was completely naked. She was so beautiful he thought. He once again picked her up and carried he into the shower. Once they were both in the shower and the hot water had begun to cascade down their bodies they once again began to kiss passionately.

Quickly Elliot's hands had found their way to Olivia's breasts. He began to roll her nipples between his index and middle finger. He knew this drove her crazy. Olivia could feel Elliot's hands and knew he was doing this to annoy her so she thought she would get her own back. She broke apart from their kiss and fell to her knees. She began to stroke his impressive length but kept contact with him at all times. Just as she placed the tip of his penis on her lips the water turned cold. Both of them screamed and jumped out of the shower.

They grabbed a towel each and put it around themselves. They both knew the moment had been lost and gave each other a sympathetic smile. As Elliot turned to walk back out to the bedroom Olivia called him back.

"Elliot" she shouted " I am in no way finished here now go and get dressed and we can finish what we started later" she sounded so dominating as she spoke those words and Elliot loved it. He couldn't wait for tonight.

In the bedroom next door Casey was getting changed. She had slept in John's bed last night instead of going back to her hotel. She found it kind of funny that nobody had made any smart comments about her and John sharing a room. It was kind of like the time that Olivia and Elliot had shared a room one night for an undercover sting but nobody ever made fun of it. She thought it was hilarious but when she told John he explained that it wasn't funny because they actually were in love. Then it hit her. John was in love with her…

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Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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A/N: This chapter is going to focus mainly on the girls day out! Hope you enjoy

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Casey's mind was racing. She had always valued her and John's friendship but could they be more than friends. When she thought about it she realised that she had actually been spending a lot more time with John alone recently. They had started to get dinner together more often or go and see a movie or even just hang over. It had never crossed her mind before that it could ever be more but now that it had she wasn't sure what to think. Yes John was a great friend to her but what if they did take it further and it didn't work out? Could she take that risk?

She was brought from her thoughts as she heard Olivia call everyone down to the kitchen. Everyone raced downstairs excited for the day of activities that Olivia had planned for them. Olivia looked around to make sure that everyone was ready and then explained that there was a taxi outside waiting for all the guys to take them go-karting and the girls would be taking an SUV that Olivia had rented for the day.

As everyone was getting ready to leave and they were saying their goodbyes John couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He watched as Don, Elliot and Fin kissed their lovers goodbye. He wished that he was brave enough to tell Casey how he really felt about her but he knew that even if he was brave enough that now wasn't the best time to do so. Instead he just gave her a hug and flashed her a loving smile.

The boys had now left and the girls all climbed into the SUV. Olivia had decided that she would drive but needed Ciara's help with the directions so Ciara sat up front with her. When they reached the small airport about 30 miles away everyone grew even more excited as they saw a private jet waiting for them.

"Olivia how can you afford all this? I mean it's really nice of you but its got to be expensive?" inquired Casey. Olivia turned around to the redhead and winked before getting out of the SUV. Everyone else in the car just looked at each other puzzled but were too excited to go shopping to push the topic any further. As everyone walked up to the jet Olivia handed the flight attendant who had waited for them an envelope which everyone knew was full of money. Everyone boarded the flight without any problems and headed to Belfast for some retail therapy.

The flight was short, only 30 minutes. Everyone had chatted and seemed to be having a great time much to Olivia's delight. She was especially happy that Ciara had been able to fit in well among the group. Even though there was a significant age gap between Ciara and the rest of the group she seemed to be able to fit in perfectly.

When everyone got of the jet they immediately went for some coffee. They knew that they had a long day ahead of them and needed a little energy boost.

Once everyone had got their coffee they headed of. They went to every single shop around. Whether it was a clothes shop or shoe shop they went in to it.

After about two hours of shopping everyone decided to go for some lunch. They went to a small café in the city centre. Ciara had told them that she had been once and that the food was delicious so they took her word for it and went in. There wasn't a big crowd in so they got seated easily and placed their orders quickly. Within 10 minutes of ordering their food was served. Ciara was right the food was delicious.

"Good choice Ciara the food here is delicious!" exclaimed Casey.

"Yeah I came here once as part of a school trip. As part of TY we got to take a shopping trip here so when my friend Siobhan and I got hungry we decided we would treat ourselves and come here" replied Ciara.

"TY?" Asked Melinda who appeared a bit confused.

"Oh you guys mustn't have that in America. Well it's a choice year after third year. It is kind of a rest year after our junior cert" Ciara looked around at the puzzled faces around her and giggled. She continued "Ok here we do eight years in primary school then five or six years in secondary school. The first three years in secondary school are your junior cert years because in third year you sit your junior cert exams then you get the choice to either do transition year, TY, or go straight into fifth year and then sit your leaving cert exams in sixth year" This time when Ciara looked up everyone was staring at her and listening carefully to her description of the education system here.

"Everyone following me so far?" she asked and was replied by the other four women nodding their heads in agreement. Once again she continued

"Well in TY we learnt stuff like first aid and we learn computer skills. We didn't do normal school subjects but we learnt useful things and we also went on a lot of trips and did work experience. Then we all applied for a Gaisce award which we got from the president. It was a really fun year but I didn't get to finish it because I had to take care of grandma"

"So you're saying that you can choose to do an extra year at school?" asked Casey. Ciara nodded in agreement. "Learn something new every day" said Casey with a laugh as she resumed eating her food.

Once everyone had finished and Liz had kindly paid the bill the girls decided that they should all get a new outfit for going to the theatre tonight. The first shop that they went into was more suited to Ciara's age. She looked through loads of dresses with the help of the others when she came across a beautiful dress that she liked. The others encouraged her to try it on. At first she was a little nervous incase it was horrible on her but the more she looked at the dress she thought it sound look great on her. Eventually she agreed to try it on. She went in to the changing rooms and came out about 5 minutes later. Everyone gasped in surprise. She looked so mature and elegant. She had chosen an emerald-green one shoulder dress. It was a simple dress but it made her so grown up looking. It made her look like a young woman, not a girl.

"Ciara its beautiful honey" said Liz.

"I agree" said Casey, Olivia and Melinda in unison which earned them a little giggle from Ciara.

"Ok I think I will get it then" said Ciara admiring herself in the floor length mirror.

About fifteen minutes later Ciara had paid for her dress and everyone was now in the shop next door. The clothes here were suited to the other ladies ages. Ciara decided that she would look for some jewellery or shoes while the others looked for an outfit for tonight.

Olivia was first to find a dress. She had found a gorgeous long red dress. She knew that Elliot loved her in red so decided to but it if not just for herself then for him.

Melinda found maroon coloured pencil skirt and a black silk blouse to go with it. When she tried it on she knew this was the outfit that she was going to buy. It hugged her every curve and fit like a glove.

Casey was next to spot the perfect outfit. She was a little younger than Olivia and Melinda and her style was a little more fun. She chose a purple A-line skirt and paired it with a lacy cream coloured top.

All three were satisfied with their choice of clothing but Liz had still to find something to wear. Accepting that she wasn't going to find an outfit in this shop she and the others went in search of another clothes shop. It wasn't long until they found a shop that suited. Once Liz walked in the door she saw the perfect outfit. It was a black lace dress which had long sleeves and dropped to below her knee. She quickly paid for the dress and exited the shop.

It was now only 4 p.m. and the girls were finished their shopping. They had purchased everything they had wanted and needed. With nothing else to do and another 2 hours to spare before they had to get back to the jet everyone decided to go and get their hair and make- up done in a nearby salon.

2 hours later the ladies walked out of the salon barely recognisable form before. They quickly made their way back to the jet to be home in time to hear about the boys' day and get ready for their meal and the theatre.

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far it really helps me to update quicker!

Next chapter will be about the boys' day out


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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While the women were spending their day shopping the men seemed to be reliving their youth.

First they went to the go-kart centre that was only 10 minutes from the house. Once they arrived they were shocked by the size of the track. It was huge and outdoors. They were greeted by a young man called Dean who looked to be around the same age as Ciara.

"Hi my name is Dean" he said "I am going to be your instructor for the day. Now you all have the track to yourselves for two hours then I am taking you all paintballing"

"What do you mean you are taking us?" asked Fin.

"Well when Olivia Benson booked the track for everyone she asked if I knew where a good place to take four cops for some fun was. At first I thought she was joking but then she said she was serious so I told her about the paintball arena next door which I also work at so she arranged for me to take you all there after" explained Dean. The men all looked excited and followed Dean into the changing rooms to get their boiler suits and protective gear on.

Half an hour later, after some struggle to find a boiler suit to fit John, the men walked out onto the track. Dean assigned them a car and gave them the instructions and the rules.

Once the men were on the track the all screamed with excitement. Elliot remembered the last time he had gone go-karting. He was 16 and he and his friends thought it would be a good place to show off to some girls. All was going well for him that night until one of his friend crashed and had to be taken to hospital. But that didn't but him off now. He was zooming around the track at what seemed to be 100 miles an hour and he felt so free and young again.

The same could be said for the Cragen and Fin but Munch was a bit preoccupied. He kept thinking about Casey. He thought that maybe he should just tell her tonight, if she was going to sleep in his bed again, that he was in love with her. Then he thought that maybe he should just forget it. He thought that someone as smart and beautiful as Casey would never go for a guy like him. He had been unlucky in love so many times before but knew that he couldn't just give up on Casey just like that.

Once their two hours on the track was over the guys headed into town for something to eat. The agreed to meet Dean at the paintball arena at two thirty. As they took the taxi into town Fin nudge Don

"Hey Don is there something up with Munch, I mean he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself or anything" said Fin. Over the years he had gotten to know Munch well. He knew if there was something on his mind or not. He was his best friend and he wanted to know what was bugging him.

Don knew what was wrong with Munch. He had noticed that look in his eye this morning when he went to hug Casey. Deciding to just bite the bullet Don began to talk.

"Hey Munch just tell her how you feel" His statement got some puzzled looks from Elliot and Fin.

John looked at him and said "It isn't that easy Don. I really want to tell her but I don't know how to tell her I mean I'm not just going to say 'oh hey Casey listen I really like you want to go out sometime'"

"It worked for me and Liv, and look at us now we haven't been happier" explained Elliot.

"Me too old man" said Fin "you just got to bite the bullet and go for it." He added.

John just nodded to let the guys know that he appreciated their advice. Soon after they arrived at a restaurant. They were all starving and decide to have steak all around. Once they were stuffed Don paid for their meal and headed back to the taxi. It wasn't long before they had reached the paintball arena and spotted Dean waiting for them.

Again the put on some overalls and protective gear and went out to the arena where Dean told them the rules and gave them instructions. Once he finished Fin had an idea.

"Hey guys how about we make this a bit more fun. We should go in teams and the team that loses has to do something"

"Something like what?" asked Munch. He didn't like where this was going.

"I know" said Don "the team that loses has to do the other teams paperwork when we get back to work for a whole week" Everyone nodded in agreement before they chose the teams. Don and Elliot were in one team and Fin and Munch in the other.

When Dean sounded the whistle for them to begin it was like war. Everyone ran and shot were being fired from everywhere. Don and Elliot were first to find a hiding spot behind some hay. From here they could look down on Fin and Munch who were hiding behind two plastic bins.

"How do you want to play this Stabler?" Asked Don.

"Well captain I think we should wait it out a while. You know what those two are like any second now they are going to run out all guns blazing" he stated. As Don laughed at Elliot's statement as if on cue Munch and Fin ran out from behind the bins and began firing paintballs at them.

Don and Elliot were able to defeat the others easily. They emerged without a spot of paint on them while Fin and Munch were covered in green paint from head to toe. Don and Elliot couldn't help but laugh. They high- fived then began to do a cheesy victory dance but it was all in good fun.

Because it was so easy for Don and Elliot to beat the other team they had a lot of time to spare before they had to head home to get ready for their meal and the theatre they decided to go to town and get something to wear tonight.

They all went into the men's clothing shop and exited about twenty minutes later. It didn't take them long to decide what to wear. Each man bought a suit and white shirt. The only thing that differed was the colour of tie that they bought. Don chose green, Fin chose maroon, Munch chose purple and Elliot chose red.

They all got into the taxi and headed home quite chuffed at what they had bought.

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So next is the meal and trip to the theatre! Thanks for reading


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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When the men all arrived back at the house it was only six p.m. which meant that they had an hour to get ready for the night. Straight away each man went to their rooms and showered and dressed. It didn't take them long and 20 minutes later they had all reassembled down in the kitchen. They began to talk about everything that's happened since they have arrived in Ireland a few days ago.

"Well I think it is safe to say that Don has surprised us all the most with his shock engagement" declared Elliot. He was serious he really had been shocked and a little jealous. He didn't even know that Don and Liz had been dating before this trip and now they were engaged. Of course he was happy for the couple but on the inside he envied them. He wished that he and Olivia were at that stage in their relationship but he knew not to push her. It had taken him almost 15 years to declare his love for her and he wasn't going to ruin what they had now for something that he hoped would happen eventually.

"If you must know Elliot I had planned on proposing to Liz for quite some time now and it just felt like the right time so I just hoped for the best and followed my heart" said Don with a smile. He was one of the happiest men alive at the moment. Everything in his life was starting to fall into place. Everyone nodded at Dons last sentence in understanding. They knew that he was a lonely man ever since his wife had died but they all knew that he was a very caring man who would treat a woman well. They were all happy for the father figure of the group.

While the men were back at the house talking the women were now in the SUV on the way back to the house. Olivia was first to break the silence as they drove.

"So Ciara did you buy anything nice?" she inquired.

"Yeah I got some new converse and some jeans just. Oh and I got some new CD' s too" she replied and then asked "what about you Olivia did you get anything nice?"

"Yes I did, I got some new clothes and a few pairs of heels. I also got El a really nice set of cufflinks" replied Olivia with a smile. She had really enjoyed her day out with the girl, Ciara included.

"I got Don Cufflinks too" stated Liz.

"I got them for Fin too" added Melinda with a laugh.

Olivia noticed that ever since lunch Casey had grown very quiet and Olivia was a little worried. Now that she knew Casey was happy again she didn't want something to hurt her and make her run away again.

"Casey honey are you ok? You've been very quiet" asked Olivia.

"Actually you guys I'm not. This morning I realised John is in love with me" she replied. Her statement was met with some giggles before she gave everyone a stern look and they stopped. As she continued she said "All day I have thought about it and you know what I think I love him too. I mean we spend so much time together and we have loads in common so I am thinking maybe I should tell him how I feel so we can see if this is something or not". Olivia stooped the car and turned around in her seat to look at Casey.

"I'm so happy for you Case. John is a great guy and you two deserve some happiness" Olivia's statement was approved by Liz and Melinda by nodding in agreement. Casey just smiled at everyone and hoped that they were right. She decided that tonight was the night that she was going to tell John Munch that she had feelings for him.

When they eventually arrived home they had only 15 minutes to get ready before their meal. Luckily all they had to do was put their new outfits on and freshen up a little. They all raced in the door and ushered a few hellos to the men but never actually looked at them.

At almost 7 each woman came walking down the stairs as if they were in some sort of show or fashion parade. As each man caught sight of their significant other they all laughed. They couldn't believe that they had got the correct colour tie to wear.

Liz was first to reach the bottom of the stairs wearing her black lace dress that dropped to below her knee. She paired her outfit with emerald earrings that Don had bought her for her birthday and emerald coloured heels. She was followed by Ciara who had on her emerald dress. She paired it with simple black pumps, long black earrings and a few black bracelets. As they reached the bottom Don gave Liz a hug and a small kiss on the cheek. "Look at us all matching" he said as he waved his emerald coloured tie. At that moment Liz thought that she, Don and Ciara would make the perfect little family. She was too old to have any children but had always wanted some. Now here she was standing with the man she loved and this beautiful girl who had taken a special place in her heart and she knew that she was going to have to try to adopt Ciara.

As everyone else descended the stairs each man's face lit up. Their partners really were stunning. Last do land at the bottom of the stairs was Casey when she got to the bottom she did something that surprised everybody. She threw her arms around Munch's neck and gave him a passionate kiss. When the need for oxygen grew too strong they broke apart and looked in to each other's eyes and said "I think I am in love with you" in unison. The rest of the group began to cheer and clap. Casey and John both blushed and joined hands as they walked out to the mini-bus that was waiting on them.

The meal was delicious and everyone had a great time and chatted lively among the group. Once everyone had finished the group made their way to the theatre to see the local production of 'Calendar Girls'. The performance was amazing and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. It was only about 11 when the play was over so Casey, John, Olivia, Elliot, Fin and Melinda decided to go to a nightclub nearby. Ciara was too young to get in and Liz and Don offered to take the teen home.

During their drive back to the house Don noticed that Liz and Ciara had grown very close over the short space of time that they had known each other. He knew that it was going to be hard for everyone to leave Ciara here when they had to go home but in his heart he knew that Liz wasn't going to just leave Ciara on her own. Ciara had nobody left and Don and Liz had talked about adoption before. They hadn't talked about adopting themselves but they had talked about how adoption was a great chance for people who can't have children of their own to share their love with somebody who needed it. In that moment he knew that between Liz and Ciara and himself they would make the perfect family. But first they would have to go through a long adoption process and he knew it wasn't going to be easy seen as Ciara was living in Ireland and he and Liz lived in New York.

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Thanks for all the reviews so far! Now the next chapter will have Don and Liz talking to Ciara about adoption and Elliot and Olivia finishing what they started earlier in the day ;) and remember reviews make me update quicker…


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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When Don, Liz and Ciara arrived back at the house they all decided to get changed into their pyjamas and watch a movie.

Liz had gone in to the bathroom while Don sat on the bed. He began to wonder if he and Liz both had the same thoughts about adopting Ciara and he knew there was only one way to find out. When Liz reappeared from the bathroom she knew that something was on Don's mind.

"You ok Don?" she asked softly as she sat beside him on the bed. He took her hand in his and spoke softly

"Liz I love you so much and I am so glad you agreed to marry me but there is something else I want to ask you. I know this may seem very rushed but I've seen how you look at Ciara and I know that you have a connection with her and I was just wondering" He took a deep breath and continued "I was wondering how you would feel about maybe adopting Ciara?"

Liz couldn't contain her excitement. She jumped up from the bed and then leaped in to Don's lap and kissed him passionately. She had been thinking the exact same thing but wasn't sure how Don would react to her suggestion but now that she knew he was ok with it she felt as though a weight had been lifted. The next step would be to ask Ciara's opinion.

As Liz and Don regained some composure Ciara sat on her bed wondering about what was going to happen to her now. She had nobody left and she didn't want to go in to care. She thought maybe somebody would just take her to New York with them and she would be eternally grateful but she shook that idea of and thought she was just setting herself up for a fail by thinking that way. She just accepted that she would spend the next two years of her life in a home and then when she turns eighteen she will be let out in to the world to fend for herself. The thought of this terrified her.

Ciara could hear Liz and Don going downstairs so she decided to join them for a movie. When she got down to the kitchen Liz and Don were making popcorn and trying to decide which movie to be put on. They couldn't choose between Dirty Dancing and Taken.

"Oh Ciara good you're here now which movie would you prefer?" Asked Liz.

"I've seen Taken like a billion times so maybe Dirty Dancing this time" responded Ciara hesitantly.

As Liz put the DVD into the player she couldn't help but think that Don and Liz would make great parents. Liz was strong yet compassionate and Don was kind and caring yet authoritative.

Liz quickly shot Don a look. At first he didn't understand what she was trying to say but then he knew she was trying to get him to talk to Ciara about adoption. 'No time like the present' he thought. As they all sat down on the plush sofa together Don and Liz both looked towards Ciara. When she saw them look at her she thought that they had something bad to tell her and prepared herself for the worst.

"Ciara" began Don "have you given any thought to what is going to happen you when we all leave. I mean you can't stay here on your own your still only a teenager" As he finished his question he could see the tears begin to pool in Ciara's eyes and it almost broke his heart. In that moment in time he knew that he would not leave Ireland without her.

"Actually I just was thinking about that. I honestly don't know what is going to happen to me and I have nobody to turn to for help" sobbed Ciara. Liz then moved from where she was sitting so that she was now beside Ciara. She put her arm around the teen and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Ciara have you thought about adoption before. Would you like to be adopted?" questioned Liz tentatively. Suddenly Ciara's sobbing ceased and a smile grew across her face. She could tell where this conversation was headed but didn't want to spoil anything by getting ahead of herself.

"Are you going to adopt me?" she asked bravely. It was now Dons turn to speak.

"Ciara we would love nothing more than to adopt you and have you come and live with us in New York but we need to know that it is what you want too?" Ciara responded by throwing her arms around both Liz and Don and hugging them tightly.

"I will take that as a yes then" stated Don with a laugh. Ciara who was lost for words just nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Well first of all we need to make sure that this is all legally done so first thing in the morning we are going to the Lawyers office and we can start the process" explained Liz quite matter-of-factly.

"There is no need" interrupted Ciara "as grandma was the only relative I had left she was my sole care giver. In her will she left the choice up to me. She wanted me to be happy and said that she wanted nothing more than for me to find a good family who will take care of me. And since I am 16 its my decision" she stated with a smile.

"So that means as long as we get the adoption papers drawn up you can come back to New York with us?" inquired Don. Again lost for words Ciara nodded her head vigorously. Liz and Don looked at each other and shrieked with excitement.

About 3 hours later Don, Liz and Ciara headed up to bed. They were drained after all the excitement of the day.

Meanwhile the rest of the group were getting into a taxi to take them home. Both John and Casey were drunk, Fin and Melinda were all loved up and Olivia and Elliot were excited as they had planned to finish what they began this morning.

The drive to the house was short and everyone immediately went up to bed as quietly as they could as to not wake Ciara, Liz and Don.

Once Olivia and Elliot were in the privacy of their own room they gave each other seductive looks.

"You ready for this Detective Stabler?" asked Olivia as she stepped closer to Elliot. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed the growing bulge in Elliot's trousers. As she now stood in front of Elliot merely inches from his face she leaned in close and whispered in his ear "Its ok your body already answered that question for me."

He could feel Olivia's breath on his skin and it sent shivers down his spine. Only this woman had such an effect on his body. In one quick move he picked Olivia up so that he was now cradling her in his arms. He could see the fire in her eyes. She leaned in close and began to softly trail kisses along his jaw line and down his neck. Elliot on the other hand had begun to carry Olivia over to the bed and at the same time had unzipped her dress. He moved his hands up to unclasp her bra only to find that she wasn't wearing any.

"Not wearing any underwear today are we Detective Benson?" He whispered in her ear.

"I thought that this was more…comfortable" responded Olivia. "Now stop your yapping Detective and have your wicked way with me" she added before she stepped out of her dress and lay naked on the bed. Elliot didn't need to be told twice. He quickly discarded all his clothes before climbing onto the bed. He stopped momentarily to look at Olivia. She really was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He was brought from his thoughts as he felt Olivia's hand begin to stroke his erect penis. As she stroked his penis she began to gently scratch her nails around the tip. She knew this would drive him crazy.

Elliot couldn't stand her torment any longer and decided to take charge. He took Olivia's arms and placed them above her head before he began to trail kisses down her toned abdomen and stopped as he reached the inside of her thighs. Unexpectedly he thrust two fingers inside her. She gasped in shock and began to arch her back and buck her hips wildly.

"El…..in me…..now" demanded Olivia.

In one swift movement Elliot was inside her. He started to thrust slowly then increased the pace. He could see that Olivia was on the edge and he could feel her tighten around him. She used a pillow to muffle her moans knowing full well that John was just next door. She looked at Elliot and pulled him close and kissed him passionately as he began to increase his pace. It wasn't long before the couple had reached their climax and fell into each other's arms breathing heavily.

"I love you Olivia Benson" declared Elliot as his breathing returned to normal.

"I love you too Elliot Stabler" she replied as they snuggled in close and drifted off to sleep.

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Ok guys what do you think? Please review!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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Melinda woke the next morning in the arms of the love of her life. She loved waking up like this. It always made her feel so loved and safe. As she rolled over to get out of bed she was pulled in even closer to Fin's chest.

"Fin baby I have to pee" she giggled.

"Just one more minute please Mel" he mumbled still half asleep.

Without any further discussion she settled back into bed. She couldn't help but think that she was the luckiest woman alive. She had her dream job, great friends, the man of her dreams and now she was pregnant with his child and that filled her with so much joy. She just wanted to proclaim her news to the world but first wanted to make sure that it was ok with Fin. She nudged him gently to get him to wake up but he didn't budge so she resorted to plan B. She reached her hand around her back and began to tickle his abdomen. This time it worked.

"Ok Mel you can go and pee"

"No that can wait I wanted to ask you if you want to tell everyone our good news. I really want to" she stated. He eyed her curiously. She was the one who wanted to wait in the first place but now that she wanted to as well he wasn't going to object.

"Sure baby whatever you want" she responded as he planted a kiss on her forehead. She was so happy and couldn't want to see the others faces when they told them.

XXX

Next door Don and Liz were already up and dressed. They had a big day ahead of them. They were going to the solicitor's office along with Ciara to get adoption papers drawn up. They were both so excited but at the same time nervous. They were excited about adopting Ciara and they didn't think that there would be any problem in doing so but they were nervous about what the others would say when they told them over breakfast.

Don stooped what he was doing and looked at Liz. He could see that she was nervous and rightfully so but he wanted to reassure her to. He walked over to where she was brushing her hair and gave her a reassuring hug. She looked up into his eyes and could see he was nervous too.

"It will all be ok" he spoke softly.

"I know honey, I know" she replied in an almost whisper. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as they stood up and made their way downstairs.

XXX

Olivia groaned as the light flooded in through the windows.

"No too early" she mumbled still half asleep. She was surprised to see Elliot already up and dressed. She thought that he would be tired after last nights activities but obviously that wasn't the case. He was sitting in the armchair that sat at his side of the bed. He looked nervous and pale.

"Elliot is everything alright?" she asked. When he looked at her she could see in his beautiful blue eyes that he was hiding something.

"Olivia I have something to ask you" she said sweetly. "Now I know this may seem a little rushed or whatever but I love you so much. So this morning I got up really early and bought this" He took a red velvet box out of his pocket. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. She definitely wasn't expecting this. As Elliot opened the box she saw a beautiful ring with a small emerald on it. How appropriate she thought. Then Elliot continued

"I just want to be with you forever. Olivia Benson I love you, will you marry me?" He had just proposed to her and Olivia was crying. She looked at him with her big brown eyes and tears streaming down her face but she was smiling.

"Yes Elliot Stabler I would love to be your wife" she almost screamed as she threw her arms around him.

She had always thought about her and Elliot getting married but honestly didn't think that he would propose to her so soon. She was definitely surprised but also ecstatic. For the first time in a hell of a long time her life felt perfect.

After a few moments of hugging and kissing Olivia broke apart from Elliot.

"Elliot if you don't mind me asking what brought all of this on? I mean I am really happy, over the moon even but why now?" she knew that this probably wasn't what Elliot wanted to hear from her right now but she wanted to know.

"Well Olivia" he said "I have thought about this for ages. I knew that when I first met you we had something special and that one day I would make you my wife. Then when Don proposed to Liz I had seen how happy that made him and he said that he knew that the time was right and went for it. So I took his advice and got up this morning and went to the jewellers. It just felt like the right time" He blushed as he finished. He was never one to talk about his feelings or emotions but when he was around Olivia everything changed. She brought out the good in him.

Not knowing what to say she just gave him another hug. He really was perfect.

"So are we going to go and tell everyone or what?" he asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh Detective Stabler we most definitely are!" she squealed with excitement as she grabbed his hand and led him downstairs.

When they walked into the kitchen they weren't surprised that John and Casey were still in bed. After their drunken night last night Olivia knew that it would be a while before they made an appearance for the day.

Everyone sat quietly at the table before Olivia, Liz and Mel all said "We have something to tell you" There was a little giggle among the women before Liz told the others to go first. Olivia looked at Melinda and signalled for her to go first.

"Well Fin and I have some good news to tell. We are having a baby" She almost screamed the last part. She was so happy. Her announcement was followed by a flurry of 'congratulations' and hugs from everyone. Next Olivia spoke.

"Well I thought you guys would all like to know, This morning Elliot proposed to me…..and I said yes!" she exclaimed as she held her hand up to show everybody her engagement ring. This announcement got the same reaction as Fin and Melinda's but had a few more 'about times' thrown in.

As everyone sat down again and regained some composure they turned to look at Liz who was now holding Don and Ciara's hands.

"Don and I have decided that we would love to adopt Ciara and take her back to New York with us" Elizabeth Donnelly was never one to beat around the bush and just came out and said it. This announcement was followed by complete silence….

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Ok guys struggling a bit with writer's block at the minute! Any suggestions would be nice :P Please review Thanks so much for reading and I hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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The silence was deafening. At that moment it felt as though the earth had stood still and you could have heard a pin drop. Don bowed his head in disappointment. He had just told his friends, his family that he was adopting this beautiful and caring girl but nobody said anything. He felt defeated.

When he decided to raise his head in order to try to explain his decision to the others he noticed that something had changed. Olivia and Elliot had tears in their eyes and Fin and Melinda both had a smile on their face. He was perplexed as to what was happening but took it as a good sign.

Wiping away a solitary tear that rolled down her cheek with the pad of her cheek Olivia spoke.

"I am so happy for you guys. You will make a great family." She truly was happy for Don. During her years at SVU they had grown close, closer than anyone realised. He was the father she never had. He would buy her birthday presents, come and help when her car broke down and he was always there when she just needed to talk. Ciara would be blessed to have him as her father.

Don let out a sigh of relief. He was beginning to think that he wasn't going to be supported in his decision but was glad when everyone told him that they were happy for him, Liz and Ciara.

After a morning full of announcements and surprises everyone decided to do their own thing. Don and Liz were going to the solicitor's office with Ciara, Fin and Melinda were going to a movie and Elliot and Olivia decided to go to the park for some fresh air.

When they got out of the taxi as they arrived at the park they were plagued by the cool crisp air. Noticing that Olivia was cold Elliot put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. They walked in silence at first. Both were thinking about what the future would hold for them.

Elliot was delighted that Olivia agreed to marry him. He knew that she was the love of his life. He then began to think of what it would be like to have kids with Olivia. He knew she longed to be a mother and he had no doubt that she would be a great mother. He imagined a beautiful baby girl with her mother's deep brown eyes and a head full of brown curls. A laugh escaped his lips at the thought.

"What is so funny El?" inquired Olivia.

"Oh you know just stuff" he responded nonchalantly.

"Is that your final answer El?" Elliot eyed Olivia suspiciously. She had a mischievous grin playing on her lips too. Before he could think anymore about her last comment Olivia began to tickle Elliot vigorously. He squirmed and twisted under her relentless hands but began to tickle Olivia too. She let out a hearty laugh as she too squirmed and twisted. She was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her face. She knew that Elliot would not back down easily so she ran away. She ran away laughing as Elliot chased after her. They looked like children running around the grassy terrain of the park laughing and screaming.

Elliot was much faster than Olivia and was able to catch up with her quickly. As he got close her snaked his arms around Olivia's waist and swung her around. Once again she let out an exited scream. As Elliot let her down to stand again they both breathed heavily before collapsing onto the grass. Olivia rolled onto her side and looked at Elliot. Because he had woken up early to go and get an engagement ring he hadn't shaved and a five o clock shadow graced his face. As he rose and fell with each breath Olivia felt a twinge of sadness in her heart. She loved him with every inch of her being but she knew she was keeping secrets from him and if he ever found out it would hurt him. Deciding to get it out-of-the-way she took a deep breath and said "Elliot we need to talk."

Elliot knew by her tone of voice that this was serious and he was a bit worried. Not knowing how to respond he just nodded his head as he sat up and leaned on his elbow.

"Listen El I love you more than you know and I am so happy you asked me to marry you but there are some things you need to know about me first. I don't want these secrets hanging over us anymore" she took another breath before continuing. "When I was 17 I had a baby. A beautiful baby boy called Ben. He was perfect. His dad wasn't in the picture he wanted me to get an abortion when I told him I was pregnant he even gave me the money for it but I couldn't do it. So anyway I kept my pregnancy a secret from everyone, even my mom. On the 21st of April 1983 Ben was born. I was so happy. But shortly after he was born he stopped breathing. They worked on his tiny little body for over 40 minutes but they couldn't resuscitate him. He died Elliot, my baby died." By now Olivia was sobbing as she told her story.

Elliot realised that the sonogram in her drawer must have been from when she was pregnant with Ben. His heart broke as he seen Olivia crying. He threw his arms around her and held her close. Not a word was spoken as they sat in each other's embrace. Elliot couldn't believe she had gone through all of this on her own but was glad that she had confided in him. He knew it was hard for Olivia to let people in. She had spent most of her life trying to act strong and build up walls around her. She never wanted to let anybody in but Elliot was the only one who had succeeded in changing her.

Since they began dating Olivia had changed. She was happier and stronger and more confident in who she was.

As the day began to turn to night Elliot looked at his watch. They had been sitting in each other's arms for a few hours now and decided to take Olivia for dinner.

"Liv" he said softly "I am so sorry for what you had to go through on your own. I am glad that you told me too. I love you baby" and then he planted a kiss on her head. Olivia looked up at him with puffy red eyes from her crying. She felt like a weight had been lifted. She reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand and kissed his lips.

"How about we go and get something to eat?" suggested Elliot.

"Yeah I seen a Chinese just down the road we can eat there" suggested Olivia. Elliot took Olivia's hand and they began to walk to the Chinese.

They ate their mood and chatted about recent events. They talked about Fin and Melinda's announcement and how happy they were for them and about Don and Liz's decision to adopt Ciara. They were both shocked at their announcement at first but at the same time happy.

As the finished their food and Elliot paid the bill Olivia felt relieved that Elliot wasn't hurt by what she had told them. They walked out of the restraint holding hands feeling completely at ease and content in their lives. At the moment everything was perfect for them.

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Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay I've been in hospital Anyways I am back to school tomorrow but I will try to update as soon as I can! Remember to review


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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In the car on the drive back to the house Olivia and Elliot sat in silence. It wasn't that they were unhappy or arguing it was just that after the day they had they had nothing else to say. They were content and were happy to just sit together in the back seat of the taxi holding hands and taking in the scenery around them. Ireland was like the opposite of New York. Olivia loved it. She had travelled to many countries before but nothing had been like this. It was all so calm and quiet and she loved it. Suddenly her mind was flooding with thought of having a wedding here in Ireland. She looked at Elliot who was still gazing out his window and admiring the scenery around him.

"El" she yelled and then laughed as he jumped in shock.

"Oh God Liv you almost gave me a heart attack!" he yelled back playfully.

"Sorry baby but there is something I want to ask you. How soon do you want to get married?" Once she had spoken these words a huge smile creeped across Elliot's face.

"Olivia if I could marry you right this minute I would and it would make me the happiest man in the world" Elliot explained as he placed his arm around Olivia's shoulders and pulling her closer to him. Olivia blushed slightly. He really was perfect to Olivia.

"I am glad you think that way because I want to get married her, in Ireland" Olivia wasn't sure how Elliot would react or if he would agree. She bit her lip nervously in anticipation for his answer.

"Anything for you" He replied simply and honestly as he placed a kiss on her cheek. He loved this beautiful, compassionate woman so much and he would do anything that made her happy.

"Elliot!" she screamed in happiness "I can't wait! But we have so much planning to do! We leave next Friday so maybe we should plan it for Wednesday?" Olivia was rambling and Elliot couldn't help but laugh.

Before they realised they were back at the house. Elliot paid the taxi driver and he and Olivia promptly made their way inside the house hand in hand. They looked in the living room and saw Melinda and Fin snuggled up on the couch. Everyone else was upstairs.

"Everyone come downstairs now!" Shouted Olivia. Within seconds everybody was gathered in the kitchen looking at Olivia somewhat confused.

"Everybody" she began "I would like to inform you all that Elliot and I plan to get married next week. It isn't all organised yet but we hope to get married on Wednesday in that small chapel not too far from here"

Everyone was stunned. They really weren't expecting for everything to be happening so quickly. Don was first to congratulate them and everyone else followed suit.

"Casey and Melinda I hope you will be my bridesmaids" requested Olivia happily.

"John and Fin you guys are my best men" announced Elliot. Everyone laughed at his boldness as his statement sounded more like a demand and not a question.

"Of course we will be" responded John.

"Olivia we would be offended if you didn't ask" Laughed Casey.

When everyone had settled down again Elliot rang the local priest, with Ciara's help. Olivia waited nervously for him to finish up the phone call and tell her what was happening. When Elliot reappeared in the kitchen with a huge beaming smile on his face Olivia knew it was good news.

"Ladies and gentlemen I would like to formally invite you to the wedding of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler which will take place on Wednesday the third of May in St. Colmcilles church at 1 pm" announced Elliot. Everyone cheered and began chatting about all the preparations that would need to be made.

As the night drew on it was decided that tomorrow Olivia and the girls would go shopping for dresses while the men would go shopping for suits. Liz said she would take care of the flowers while Casey said she would organise the reception.

Around midnight everyone was getting ready to go to bed when Olivia pulled Don aside.

"Don I want to ask you if you would maybe give me away?" asked Olivia hesitantly.

Tears threatened to spill from Don's eyes as he listened to Olivia's request. He loved Olivia like his own and would be honoured to walk her down the aisle.

"Of course I would" was all he could say as tears spilled from his eyes. Olivia too began to cry and the both hugged.

Ciara watched the loving moment between Olivia and Don. Now that Don was going to be her father she imagined the day that he would walk her down the aisle and give her away. Her heart swelled at the thought. She imagined Liz too. She would be a great mother, she just knew it. Already in the short time they had known each other Liz had already done so much for her and Ciara loved her dearly.

When everyone was asleep Ciara was sitting in her room fully dressed getting ready to leave. She knew that everyone was asleep and took this as her chance to go to her boyfriend Mark's house. She hadn't told anyone that she had a boyfriend because she didn't want anyone to know but she knew he was leaving tomorrow and this was going to be her last chance to say goodbye. As she opened the door to exit the room she was startled by the person standing there looking at her…..

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Thanks for reading please review and tell me what you thought!

Thanks for all the well wishes too guys! I get my test results tomorrow so wish me luck...


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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"Ciara where are you planning on going at this time of night?" questioned Olivia.

Ciara let out a breath of relief. It was dark so she was unable to see who was standing in front of her but was somewhat relieved that it was Olivia.

"Well?" prompted Olivia. Ciara turned on her heel and sat back down on her bed and turned on her small lamp that sat on her bedside locker. She looked up and noticed Olivia looked like she had been crying, but her eyes were full of curiosity and worry.

"I was just going for a walk" mumbled Ciara in hope that Olivia would believe her. But she didn't.

"Oh really?" retorted Olivia. Ciara knew it wasn't going to go away as easily as she had hoped. As she looked at Olivia once more she couldn't ignore the connection she felt between Olivia and herself. It was something she had never before felt and it confused her. She had never met this woman before but for some strange reason she felt as though she knew her from somewhere. When Olivia's gaze caught Ciara she looked away in slight embarrassment.

"I was going to see my boyfriend Mark. He is moving to Dublin tomorrow and I probably won't see him ever again once I move to New York" admitted Ciara. An immediate flush of relief ran through her body.

Olivia continued to look at Ciara. She understood why she was going to go and see her boyfriend but she was still too young to be going out so late at night on her own. She knew that Don and Liz would not be happy if they found out.

"I understand why you were trying to sneak out Ciara but you are too young to be going out this late at night alone" scowled Olivia.

Ciara understood what Olivia was trying to tell her but she had to say goodbye to Mark before he left.

"But I will drive you to his house now and wait for you and then take you back home" added Olivia.

Ciara looked at her curiously. She wasn't sure if she had heard her right but wasn't going to question Olivia's kindness. Without further delay Ciara put her phone in her pocket and turned out the light and left her room with Olivia following close behind.

They drove to Mark's house in complete silence. Ciara had pointed Olivia in which direction to drive, She never one spoke, not even as she got out of the car and walked up to the front door of Mark's house. Olivia watched as Mark opened the door and lead Ciara inside. She was worried that Ciara might do something she would regret but thought that it wasn't her place to intervene. Olivia waited patiently in the car for almost two hours before Ciara reappeared from the house. It was Obvious that she had cried but that was understandable.

As Ciara buckled her seat belt she looked at Olivia and a fresh flood of tears poured from her eyes. Olivia threw her arms around Ciara's neck and held her close until the tears dried up.

"It's just hard you know" spoke Ciara.

"I know honey" reassured Olivia.

"He was my first" sobbed Ciara.

Olivia was a little shocked by Ciara's honestly. She remembered her own first time and how she lived to regret it. Her heart ached as Ciara continued to sob. Not knowing what to say Olivia gave Ciara a comforting hug and started the car and their journey back to the house.

By the time they arrived back home it was almost six a.m. and they decided not to go back to bed. The others would be up soon anyway. Olivia decided to make Ciara and herself some breakfast. As Olivia busied herself around the kitchen Ciara began to tell Olivia about how Don and Liz had informed her about what New York was like. Ciara seemed to be excited about her new life as she talked excitedly about how she wanted to go back to school and make new friends.

As Olivia handed Ciara a plate of pancakes and some bacon Ciara laughed.

"You call that a breakfast?" Laughed Ciara.

"Yeah why?"

"Well over here we never have pancakes for breakfast" answered Ciara.

"Well then I guess you are just going to have to get used to it when you move in with Liz and Don because this is a typical breakfast" stated Olivia as she laughed and began to eat her breakfast.

Soon after Elliot and Fin entered the kitchen and immediately walked over and begun to eat the food that Olivia had prepared. It wasn't long until everyone was in the kitchen eating breakfast and chatting feverously about the plans for Olivia and Elliot's upcoming nuptials.

The group was brought from their discussion as a knock sounded on the door. Don got up to answer the door. It was their solicitor with the finalized adoption papers.

"You just need to sign here and Ciara will legally be your daughter" stated the solicitor as Liz shrieked with joy. Everyone laughed at her excitement but was equally as thrilled to have Ciara join their family.

"There, all done" said Don as he dropped his pen and finished signing the papers.

Everyone cheered and clapped as Ciara, Don and Liz all hugged. Casey ran upstairs and got her camera. She snapped a precious shot of the new family together. She also took the opportunity to snap some shots of Olivia and Elliot smiling and laughing and of Fin hugging Melinda from behind and placing his hands on her tummy. It was a precious moment.

Once the solicitor left everyone went upstairs to get dressed for the day ahead. Everyone dressed in comfortable clothes and sneakers; they knew it was going to be a long day.

Once everyone had washed and dressed and cleaned the kitchen they filed into the mini-bus that awaited them and drove into town.

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Thanks for reading! Please review! In the next chapter Olivia finds her wedding dress, Don gives Elliot a warning and some luck for Ciara!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

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Once the group reached the town they split up. Girls went one way while the men went another.

Olivia was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to start trying on beautiful dresses in search of the perfect one but she was also aware of how tiring it was going to be. Not only did she have to find a dress she also had to choose bridesmaids dresses and book a hair appointment and arrange to get her make up done on her wedding day. Her wedding day. She never thought she would actually be planning this day. It had always seemed like an intangible concept, but now it was coming true.

The flush of warm air over her body as she walked into the first bridal wear boutique brought her back to reality. As she looked around her then enormity of the task ahead became real. There were all different types of dresses and she wasn't sure about what kind of dress she would like. Before she knew it Casey, Melinda and Liz were handing her dresses and ordering her to try them on so she did.

The first dress which Casey had chosen was a definite no. As Olivia looked at her reflection in the mirror she laughed. This dress was ridiculously big and was not her at all. As she walked out of the changing room to show the others she tried to contain her laughter. Upon seeing Olivia Melinda, Liz and Ciara all placed their hands over their mouths in shock.

"I know that's what I thought too" laughed Olivia. There was no way in hell she would be seen wearing this dress on her wedding day.

Olivia returned to the changing room to try on the dress that Melinda had chosen. This one was a lot nicer. It was silk and had an old Hollywood glam look to it. As she slid the soft fabric over her body she was slightly disappointed. It had looked beautiful on the hanger but now that she had it on she wasn't sure. She decided to see what the others thought.

"Its beautiful!" exclaimed Melinda when she saw Olivia.

"I'm not sure about it" shared Olivia.

"Me neither. I don't think it suits you Liv, no offence" added Casey.

Olivia turned to return to the changing room and was handed 10 more dresses by Casey and Ciara. She tried on dress after dress but none of them felt right. They just weren't what she was looking for. After hours of trying on dresses Olivia was starting to lose hope. Finally she had reached the last dress in the bundle. It was the dress that Liz had chosen at the start. It wasn't something that Olivia would have chosen herself but it was simple and understated so she decided to give it a chance. She knew once she had it on that this was the dress for her. It fit like a glove and hugged her body in all the right places.

She walked out of the changing room with the biggest of smile gracing her face. Everyone else was stunned. She was breath-taking.

"I take it you guys like it" said Olivia.

Words evaded the other women in the room and the all nodded in agreement to Olivia's previous statement.

Thirty minutes later the women had bought the dress and had now gone in search of bridesmaids dresses. Olivia had informed them that she wanted the dresses to be blue, her favourite colour. As the entered a shop in search of dresses Ciara's phone rang, it was Don.

"Ciara honey could you come and help us?" asked Don.

"Yeah sure" replied Ciara somewhat confused "where are you?"

"We are in Evolve the menswear shop"

Without further delay Ciara told the others she had something to do and would meet up with them later. She quickly made her way towards Evolve. As she stepped inside the shop her phone rang again but this time it was her solicitor. He had news about her grandmother's will. She listened tentatively as the solicitor spoke.

"Ciara your grandmother left you a substantial amount of properties. She owned the house that you are staying in at the moment, a cottage outside of the town and a large farmhouse along with a 10 acre farm. We have also got some calls inquiring as to whether or not you intend to sell these properties."

"How much do all of these properties amount to?" interrupted Ciara.

"Well at present" responded the solicitor "over 3 million euros. But I must inform you we have got an offer for the farmhouse and surrounding land. A local farmer is willing to pay 2 million for the lot"

Ciara couldn't believe what she was hearing. With this money she would be comfortable for the rest of her life. She wanted to keep the house she was currently staying in but was willing to sell the others.

"Tell him it's a deal. I will drop by your office later with Liz to go over the paperwork. Now I must go" explained Ciara to her solicitor. And with that she hung up.

She spotted Don and the others standing by the changing rooms at the back of the store. They all had a three piece suit on but in various different colours. Don was wearing a grey suit with a plain white shirt and red tie. Fin had a pin striped navy suit on with a blue shirt and navy tie on while John had a black suit, black shirt and silver tie on. Each man looked smart but was nothing in comparisons to Elliot. He wore a classic black suit with a black waistcoat and plain white shirt and blue tie. The blue tie brought out the blue in his eyes and he looked very dapper.

"Well guys you all look great but I think Elliot looks best. And I think the blue would look great on all of you" stated Ciara. All of the men took her advice and tried on attire similar to Elliots. It wasn't long before all of the men had been suited and were ready to continue with their day. Ciara bid them farewell and returned to the other girls.

The men next went to a car hire service. They looked through the cars on offer and chose a vintage white Rolls Royce which Don paid for and said it was his wedding present to Elliot and Olivia. The men were now almost done with their plans for the day and decided to grab some coffee. As they entered a quaint coffee shop on the corner of the street Fin and John went to order while Don and Elliot sat down. Elliot rubbed his hand over his face as he tried to fight of the tiredness. It had been a long day.

"Elliot I need to talk to you" spoke Don.

"Yeah sure what about?" replied Elliot

"I want you to promise me that you will never hurt Olivia. She is like the daughter I never had and I care for her dearly. I trust you to treat her well and I am sure I don't have to tell you how Olivia deserves happiness more than most. And if you _ever _do anything to cause her pain I will hurt you"

Elliot took in every word Don said. He would never do anything to purposely hurt Olivia and he loved her very much but he understood Don's reasoning for this conversation.

"I will never hurt Olivia Don. You have nothing to worry about" stated Elliot with confidence.

Don just smiled and nodded. He knew Elliot was a good man.

Meanwhile Melinda and Casey were trying on yet another dress that Olivia had chosen for them. This time the dress was actually quite nice and suited both of them . They were simple peplum dresses in a blue colour.

With all of the dresses sorted Olivia now had to book hair appointments for everyone and arrange for a make up artist to come to the house and do their make up the morning of the wedding. They went into the salon next door to the shop and got everything arranged.

With everything sorted they decided to go for something to eat. Ciara asked Liz to come with her to the solicitors to sort out paperwork on the houses which left Melinda, Olivia and Casey in the café together. They chatted about the wedding and soon the subject of a bachelorette party came up.

"Liv I am going to throw you the best party ever!" shrieked Casey. Olivia was a little worried by Casey's excitement but decided to let her have her moment.

As Casey rambled on about her plans for the party Olivia suddenly felt very weak. Everything in the room started to spin and suddenly Olivia was surrounded by darkness as she fell to the ground….

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Please review! And thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far it means a lot!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

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A strong, overwhelming odor brought Olivia back to reality. She tried to sit up but was unable to as the pain in her head screamed at her not to. Her head felt heavy and for a moment she wasn't sure what was happen. She squinted her eyes as a bright light was being shone into them. Once the light had vanished her eyes darted around the room trying to make sense of her surroundings. There was people gathered around her and she didn't know who any of them were. Her heart began to race as she tried to find a familiar face. Thankfully she noticed Casey and Melinda among the people. She reached her hand out to a tearful Casey.

"Case" she whispered "what happened?"

"You passed out Liv, thank God Mel was here I didn't know what to do" responded Casey.

Olivia looked to her left and saw Melinda taking her blood pressure.

"Am I ok Mel?" She asked worriedly.

"All your vitals are fine Liv, when was the last time you ate?" Melinda was in doctor mode. Once Olivia went down she sprang into action, checking her vitals and checking for any injury. She had everything in her bag that she needed including smelling salts that she used to get Olivia to regain consciousness.

Olivia thought about her last meal – breakfast. She had eaten that morning around 6 with Ciara but it was almost 6 pm now and she hadn't had anything since breakfast.

"I haven't eaten since breakfast" admitted Olivia.

"I think that's the cause. Nothing to be too concerned about Liv you've just had a long day and haven't eaten anything. Now let's get you up and get some food in to you.

Olivia was thankful for her friends assistance. She still felt a little weak but once she got some food she was fine. After their food she decided to call Elliot and see if he was almost ready to go back to the house. She was glad to hear that he was.

About an hour later everyone including Ciara and Liz had returned home. They were all gathered in the living room around the large open fire. Everyone was discussing how the wedding plans were coming along. Elliot explained how all the men had got their suits and that the transport was sorted, thanks to Don. Olivia informed Elliot that the dresses were got and hair and make-up appointments were sorted for the women. Don was next to tell the crowd that he had booked the reception for the couple. He told them that everything was booked but it was going to be kept a surprise until the day.

"Come on Don can't you at least give us a hint?" pleaded Elliot.

"Ok I shall tell you this, you will be pleasantly surprised when you see it" explained Don.

Olivia was loving the idea and mystery of her wedding reception being a complete surprise. She knew that Don would choose the perfect place. He was great at things like that, he always knew what other people wanted and for Olivia he would do anything to give that to her. Images of various settings fit for a wedding reception swirled around Olivia's head.

"I have something to tell you guys" said Ciara breaking Olivia's train of thought. Everyone ceased their chatting and turned to the door to where Ciara was standing to hear what she had to say.

"Well I got a call today" she started "and I was informed by my solicitor that my grandma had left me everything she had in her will. She left me three properties and all her belongings. But the best part is that I already have a buyer for one of the properties. I'm selling the farm for over 2 million. All the paperwork and everything is complete. Anyway when I told Liz about the other properties she well, maybe I should let Liz continue" explained Ciara. Liz took over

"Well Ciara owns this house and another smaller cottage just down the road. She is keeping this house but Don and I have bought her other house." Liz stood and walked over and took Don's hand in hers before she continued. "We know how much Liv and Elliot like it here so we have decided to give you this house, as a wedding present".

"What?" exclaimed Elliot and Olivia in unison.

"It's our gift to you guys" explained Don. "From Liz, Ciara and I"

"Oh my God!" shrieked Olivia. "Thank you guys so much!" She leapt from her seat and ran to Don and Liz and engrossed them in a loving hug. She then let them go and gave Ciara an equally as loving hug. Elliot was equally as thrilled and surprised as Olivia. He loved it here to but never expected Don and Liz to do anything like this. Don had already paid for the cars and the reception, he really had gone overboard. Elliot understood why though. It was all because of Olivia, his daughter. Elliot shook Don's hand and gave Ciara and Liz a kiss on the cheek. Everything surrounding the wedding was starting to fall into place.

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Thanks for reading. Kind of a short chapter. Hope to have another chapter done by Tuesday with some cute E/O moment as they go to Kerry for a night… alone ;) Please review !


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

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Olivia awoke to the noise of Elliot singing in the shower. He loved hearing his voice as he sang. She also knew that he only sang when he was truly happy so it was a good sign. She stretched her arms above her head to ease the stiffness in her back as she got out of bed. As she looked around the room she noticed that Elliot had two bags packed, one for himself and one for Olivia. Olivia giggled slightly. Elliot loved to surprise Olivia with a romantic weekend away or romantic dinners after a long week at work and she guessed that he had planned to take her away for a night or two before the wedding. It was only four days until the wedding and she thought it would be nice for them to have some time alone before they made their vows .As she heard the shower stop Olivia decided to put some clothes on. She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt.

Elliot came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Olivia relished the sight of his muscular torso and strong arms.. Oh how she loved how those strong arms could relieve her from all her stresses and worries and make her feel safe. Before she knew it those arms were wrapped around her waist as Elliot pulled her close and kissed her tenderly on her lips.

"I've got a surprise for you" mumbled Elliot against her lips.

"And what would that be?" replied Olivia in a seductive voice. She already guessed what the surprise was but didn't want to ruin Elliot's moment.

"I thought we could use some time to ourselves before the wedding so I booked us a room in a hotel in a beautiful little hotel in Kerry" he informed her.

"Kerry?" Olivia inquired.

"Yeah why?" responded Elliot.

"Kerry is almost 8 hours away" stated Olivia. She wasn't a fan of travelling, especially if it was by car for almost eight hours. Elliot laughed.

"Don't you think I know that?" He asked. Olivia cocked her head to the side and smirked. She really didn't know how good Elliot's knowledge of Ireland was.

"Well if you must know detective I have planned for us to fly there this afternoon. We leave at two thirty" he explained. And with that he broke from Olivia's embrace and proceeded to get dressed.

Olivia left him to get dressed as she set about making breakfast. Everyone else had already left. Casey and John were going to Northern Ireland to learn about the history and visit some historical sites and see the murals. John had a great interest in 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland and Casey agreed to go with him on his little day out. Melinda and Fin where going to a street fair for the day while Don ,Liz and Ciara where going to the Farm to collect some of Ciara's grandmothers things and then going to street fair to meet up with Fin and Melinda.

Olivia welcomed the silence in the house. Over the past few days everything has been hectic. Her life back in New York was as hectic but she just wanted some peace and quiet for a little while before she had to return to work and return to New York.

As Elliot entered the kitchen Olivia placed the plate containing his breakfast on the table. They ate in silence as the both took pleasure in the quietness that surrounded them. The finished their breakfast and made light work of the wash up. Next they checked to make sure if they had everything they needed packed.

Once they had everything they needed packed they lay down on the bed together. Olivia placed her head on Elliot's chest as he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and held her close.

Elliot was first to break the silence.

"Do you want children?" Olivia looked at Elliot curiously but knew he was just asking a simple question.

"Yes" she replied "very much so"

"Have you ever thought about us getting married before I proposed to you?" Olivia sat up in the bed and faced Elliot.

"Is this twenty questions or something?" she asked half-heartedly.

"I just want to know if this is really what you want Olivia. I don't want you to feel pressured into this or anything" explained Elliot. Olivia was shocked by the bluntness of Elliot's statement but knew it was only because Elliot wanted their relationship to last.

"Of course I've thought about it El. Actually it was more of a dream than a thought. Ever since I met you I've dreamt about marrying you and growing old with you and now that my dreams are really coming true I can honestly say that I have never been this happy before in my life. You are my other half El I would be lost without you."

Elliot looked at Olivia like he was the luckiest man alive and he did feel like he was. Nothing else needed to be said. All Elliot's worries had been laid to rest and the couple lay in bed just enjoying each other's company.

Before they knew it the taxi had arrived to take them to the airport. It was only a short journey to the airport which was very small. There wasn't many other passengers at the airport so they made it through security quickly and were aboard the plane and ready to go. Olivia didn't enjoy planes and decided to take a sleeping tablet before the plane took off.

Olivia awoke to the sound of Elliot's voice informing her that they had landed. She grabbed her luggage and left the plane still half asleep. She was thankful that Elliot had already arranged for a taxi to meet them at the airport and take them to the hotel which was relatively close to the airport.

Within thirty minutes of landing Olivia and Elliot were settled comfortably in their hotel room. They had decided to just stay in for the night and order a DVD. They opted to get Hope Springs.

Olivia loved romantic comedies but Elliot was more of an action fan. As the movie played Olivia laughed heartily at the jokes, as did Elliot. They laughed and laughed until they could barely breathe.

Elliot put on a gruff, husky voice and began to mock the main character in the movie which cause Olivia to break into yet another fit of laughter.

"You are so beautiful when you laugh" whispered Elliot.

"You aren't too sore on the eyes yourself Elliot" chuckled Olivia as the pair regained composure and enjoyed the rest of the movie. As the end credits rolled Elliot looked at Olivia only to find her asleep. He had a surprise for her but he guessed it would just have to wait until the morning. He quickly shed his clothes and snuggle next to the woman he loved before drifting off into a sweet dream.

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**_Thanks for reading! Please review. I think that there might only be about 10 chapters left in this stories but tell me if everyone would like a sequel and I will see what I can do_**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I own nothing.

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Olivia awoke the next morning as the sun soaked through the blinds and filled the room with light. She felt refreshed; she had had one of the best sleeps in ages. She usually found it hard to sleep because there was always something on her mind but last night all her worries were washed away by the man she loves – Elliot Stabler.

She rolled over in the bed and was now facing her lover. She began to trail soft, tender kisses down his jaw line and down his neck. She giggled as he stirred beneath her touch.

"Morning sleepy head" she laughed.

"Hey baby" he replied groggily "you are always so beautiful in the morning"

"Yeah" she snickered "bed hair and morning breath what a lucky man you are.

"Well Detective Benson you are beautiful but I have got a little surprise planned for you so I need you to go and get dressed up" explained Elliot.

"Like really dressed up or what?"

"I would say a dress would be appropriate" explained Elliot.

Olivia was intrigued. She wasn't sure what he had planned but she knew it would be great. Elliot always had the best ideas.

"I packed a dress for you" announced Elliot. Olivia cocked an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously. She knew he would have packed her cream dress. He loved when she wore it, mostly because it showed just enough skin and fit her like a glove.

"You are so predictable" she said as she took the cream dress out of the bag. When she took a further look in the bag she noticed he had packed all of her make up and her favourite pair of heels. But there was also a large box with a ribbon tied around it. She didn't know what was inside and whatever it was wasn't hers. She took the box out and placed it on the bed. She looked at Elliot and she could see the excitement in his eyes as a grin crept across his face. She carefully removed the soft, silky ribbon and tossed it at Elliot and proceeded to remove the lid of the box. She still couldn't make out what it was due to all the packaging in the box. She quickly pulled away all the wrappers to expose a beautiful cream hat.

"A hat?" she asked.

"Yes my lady I am taking you to a day at the races and because it is ladies day you have to wear a hat" explained Elliot.

Olivia was definitely surprised. She knew Elliot liked to think outside the box but horseracing? She had never been before and it isn't really anything she has ever thought about doing but she was still excited to spend the day with her future husband.

"Come on we need to get ready the first race starts in an hour" explained Elliot.

Forty five minutes later the couple were dressed and ready to go. Thankfully the unpredictable Irish weather was nice. It was sunny and warm, perfect for a day at the races. The couple made it to the racecourse within ten minutes and were able to see the first race.

As the second race rolled around and Olivia and Elliot began to have some of the free champagne that was being handed out they began to liven up. The placed a bet on a horse called Detective Lovejoy and watched eagerly in the stand as the race unfolded. They joined the crowds as they roared and cheered for their horse and when he won they jumped up and down like little children.

As the champagne flowed and the races continued Elliot and Olivia really began to enjoy themselves. They placed bets on the horses that they thought had the best names and if the horse won they would do a little victory dance before collecting their winnings.

Just before the last race Olivia was approached by a rather snotty looking woman.

"Excuse me miss but we would like you to take part in our best dressed competition" she said.

"Are you talking to me?" asked Olivia boldly as the alcohol showed its effects.

"Yes miss we love your outfit" replied the woman.

"Alright I will. Hey El" she shouted "I'm taking part in this competition" shouted Olivia to Elliot as he was trying to choose which horse to bet on next.

It wasn't until he saw Olivia on the big screen standing in line with five other women that he understood what she meant. He had seen this happen before when his dad had taken him to the races when he was a kid. They choose five or six women and then the crowd chooses the winner. He couldn't help but laugh as he knew Olivia would never do anything like this if she was sober. He made his way over to where the competition was being held just in time to hear Olivia talk about her outfit and hear the reaction of the crowd. She was last up.

"Well my fiancé surprised me this morning by telling me we were going to the races. The outfit was all his idea he packed everything and even chose the hat" She explained animatedly. He laughed as he watched her.

"Ok everybody you've heard Olivia's story so cheer the loudest if you think she should win our incredible prize of a specially designed Newbridge Silverware necklace worth up to ten thousand euros" Explained the host.

On the count of three the crowd erupted as they cheered for Olivia. It was clear she had won. She looked around searching for Elliot in the crowd and it wasn't long before her deep brown orbs met his sparkling blue eyes. At that moment it was as if there was nobody else around as Elliot mad e his way through the crowd and scooped Olivia up in his arms and kissed her. It was like a scene from a movie. The crowd erupted in cheers once more causing Olivia and Elliot to break apart and laugh.

Olivia claimed her prize and posed for photos with Elliot and the other contestants before she and Elliot decided to go back to the hotel. They had to fly back tonight and tomorrow were their bachelorette and bachelor parties. Casey and John had organised them so Olivia and Elliot boarded the plane somewhat apprehensive about what the next day entailed.

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Please review! Let me know if you want a sequel after this ….

Thanks for reading x


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

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Elliot and Olivia's journey back to Donegal was nothing exciting. They were both tired after their eventful day so they slept on the plane. It wasn't long before Elliot had to try to wake Olivia from her sleep, which was no easy task. He gently nudged her with his elbow a few times but nothing. Then he tried shaking her shoulder and telling her to wake up but still nothing. She only ever slept like this after she had been drinking. He paused for a moment and tried to remember how he woke her the last time this happened. Then it hit him. He knew exactly what to do.

He looked around to see if anyone was watching and when he was satisfied that nobody was he dropped his hand on to Olivia's thigh and began to rub it gently. She immediately began to stir from her sleep but she still wasn't awake. He knew he was going to have to go a little further. Once more he looked around but nobody was watching them. He knew they were going to land soon and Olivia needed to wake up so he leaned in close to Olivia's face, with his hand still on her thigh, and ran his tongue across her jaw-line. She snapped straight up in her seat, her eyes wide with wonder.

"What the hell Elliot?" she groaned.

"I couldn't get you to wake up" he explained as he tried to halt the smile that tugged on his lips.

"Yeah sure you were" she quipped as she rolled her eyes and slapped Elliot on the arm playfully. Before they knew it the plane had landed and they were on their way back to the house.

Although their night away had been delightful they were glad to be back. The wedding was in two days and they were both pretty drained with all the preparations and of course they were frightened to hear what Casey had planned. They were expecting something elaborate and over the top.

Elliot opened the door and allowed Olivia to enter the house first. They heard crying coming from the kitchen and were immediately worried. When they entered the kitchen they saw Liz sitting by herself with her head in her hands crying. There was nobody else in the house.

"Liz, are you alright?" asked Elliot as he sat down beside her.

"Yeah I'm fine just thinking" she replied softly.

"Anything we can help you with?" questioned Olivia.

"Oh don't mind me I'm just being silly. I am just thinking about how much my life has changed in the space of two weeks. It's a bit overwhelming to say the least" explained Liz as she wiped away her tears and stood up from her seat at the table.

"I know what you mean" announced Olivia and Elliot in unison.

There was a little laugh shared among the three until the silence set in and turned awkward. Liz then quietly left the kitchen and went upstairs leaving Elliot and Olivia on their own.

It wasn't long before the rest of the group returned. Casey came running in the door bursting at he seems to tell Olivia and Elliot what she had planned for their parties tomorrow. She explained how she and John had both planned them and that they would cover the costs. Olivia and Elliot were flattered by how generous everyone was being. It was humbling. Casey then continued to tell them that they would both be going to different places and different things but never gave them a clue as to what she had planned. Elliot and Olivia were growing increasingly nervous yet excited. Casey was so unpredictable.

As the night drew on the events of the past few days were beginning to take their toll on everybody. Melinda had fallen asleep in Fin's lap on the sofa and Liz and Don had retired to their room over an hour ago. Casey and John had gone into the library downstairs to take care of some loose ends. The only people awake were Elliot, Olivia and Ciara. Ciara was listening to her i-pod while Elliot and Olivia were trying to decide on the music for their first dance.

"I don't know Elliot is that not a really common first dance song?" remarked Olivia.

"But Liv its Sinatra that's like perfection." Argued Elliot.

"I'm not a fan" said Olivia.

"Ok then what do you like?" Asked Elliot who was growing tired of the conversation.

Olivia took a moment to think. She was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan but she wasn't sure if any of his music was first dance material. She looked around the room as though she would find the answer. She didn't find an answer but she did find something that could help her.

"Hey Ciara can I borrow your i-pod?" she asked.

"Yeah sure" replied Ciara as she handed it to Olivia and left the room.

"What's your bright idea?" inquired Elliot.

"Well" Olivia said seductively "I was thinking that we could just turn on the music and Dance and see which song feels right"

Elliot liked the sound of that. He quickly got up from his seat and extended his hand to Olivia who smiled and took it happily. They pressed play on the i-pod and danced along to the music. By the end of the night they had narrowed it down to three songs: Too Good to be True by Lauryn Hill, Its Your Love by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and Clown by Emile Sande.

Ciara, Don and Liz had heard Elliot and Olivia giggling from upstairs and decided to see what was happening and came down stairs. The sight of the couple who were deeply in love warmed their hearts. Don looked at Liz and whispered "That will be us soon" and planted a kiss on her cheek. Ciara's eyes filled with tears as she watched the two couples show their love for each other. She was so glad that she was now considered part of this family. A family who loved each other and who would do anything to protect one another. She felt blessed.

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Thanks for reading please review!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

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With only one day until the wedding and the atmosphere throughout the house was electric. Everybody was excited about the nuptials but there was a sense of sadness in the air as everyone knew their vacation was almost over and they soon had to return to their everyday lives in New York.

Olivia was excited to see what life would now be like for her. She knew most things would be the same but she would be returning home a married woman, something she never expected. She was excited to see what the future held for her and Elliot. She also worried about how Ciara would adjust to her new life. She would be moving to a new country and a new school and she would have a new family. Olivia knew that Don and Liz were going to be great parents to the teenage girl but Olivia knew how hard it would be for her to get settled in and make new friends. Ciara was like a sister to Olivia now and she would do anything to protect her little sister, as would everyone from the squad.

Around three in the afternoon Casey and John summoned everyone into the kitchen. Olivia's heart began to race. She really had no idea about what Casey and John had planned for the night.

"Ok everybody John and I have planned a night to remember for everyone. We aren't going to tell you what we have planned yet but we can tell you that everyone has an hour to get ready. Guys dress formal and women wear something comfortable" announced Casey with the widest of grins. Everyone paused for a moment and looked at Casey inquisitively. She just stared back with a wide grin, she wasn't giving anything away.

Within an hour everyone had dressed and was ready to embark on the activities that had been planned for them. Each man was sharply dressed in a suit while each of the women were dressed similarly in skinny jeans, sneakers and a sweatshirt.

"Oh no ladies I have got us all some t-shirts for tonight" laughed Casey as she took five t-shirts from a bag. Each one was black except for Olivia's which was white. On the front of each one there was a picture of Olivia posing with her tongue out with the caption 'She's getting married in the morning' and on the back of each person's t-shirt it had something wrote on it. Melinda's read 'The designated driver' while Liz's read 'Momma hen'.

Ciara hesitantly took her t-shirt out of the bag. She didn't know what Casey had got written on hers but hoped it wasn't something embarrassing. She took the shirt out and held it up in front of her and read the back. 'Newbie' it read. She let out a sigh of relief which earned a giggle from the rest of the group. Casey already had hers on which had 'Leader of the pack' on the back.

Olivia thought that she had got of lucky as her t-shirt didn't have anything written on it, boy was she wrong. As all the men, led by John left the house Casey reappeared from her room with bags of silly hats and badges for the group to wear. Everyone chose something to wear but Olivia wasn't given a choice. Casey put a veil on her head and pinned a bride to be badge on her chest. She was shocked when Casey slapped a sticker on her but that said do not touch.

"Really Casey?" asked Olivia as she looked in the mirror.

"Oh lighten up Liv it's only for one night" giggled Casey. Olivia let out a sigh. This was going to be a crazy night so she may aswell just try to enjoy it.

Meanwhile the men were brought to their first stop of the night, a casino.

"Nice choice John" said Fin. He wasn't a big gambler or anything but he enjoyed a bet now and again. Don and Elliot agreed with Fin this was a good choice.

The men entered the casino and took in their surroundings. They spotted some seats at a table and decided to join in the game. Don was generous enough to purchases chips for everyone and soon enough Elliot's winning streak began. He started small at first but then started betting larger amounts, every time winning it back again.

"Wow man slow down you've won twelve grand" explained Fin. Elliot knew his limits and decided to use his winnings to treat the other guys.

He called the waiter who led them into a private booth in the back of the restaurant. Each man took a seat and decided on what to order.

"It's all on me guys so get whatever you want" announced Elliot. John looked at Elliot and laughed, he had no idea what was planned for the rest of the night.

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Sorry for the wait on this chapter guys, I was in hospital again and now my laptop is broke so I don't know when i will be able to update next but I will try to update as soon as possible! :) Thanks for all the reviews so far and remember reviews are very much appreciated!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

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"One…Two….Three!" shouted Olivia, Casey and Liz in unison as they reached for the tequila shots that were lined in front of them. Melinda and Ciara laughed as they watched the ladies in front of them.

"Don't you wish you could join in?" asked Ciara. She had spent most of the night sitting with Melinda and laughing at the others expense.

"No not at all honey. I know missing out on this will be nothing compared to the happiness I will feel when I see my baby for the first time" stated Melinda proudly as she placed a protective hand on the little bump that was beginning to form.

"You're going to make a great mother" Ciara's sentiment was interrupted by the screams of Casey as she fell from the bar stool she was sitting on. Melinda and Ciara once more laughed as Liz and Olivia struggled to get Casey to her feet. It was now almost two am and Melinda thought that she should take everyone home. Her train of thought was interrupted as the doors of the small pub that Casey had taken them to swung open. It was John and Don, they did not look happy.

"Mel there was a little bit of an incident" said John "Fin is in the hospital. It doesn't look serious but he wanted you to be with him"

"What kind of incident?" inquired Melinda.

"Well let's just say Fin and Elliot had a little bit too much to drink and decided it would be a great idea to dance, on the bar" laughed John.

Melinda laughed at the situation. Trust Elliot and Fin to get wasted and make complete fools of themselves. She turned to get the rest of the gang and was pleased to see that Ciara had the girls ready to go. It was easy to get Liz, Casey AND Olivia to comply with her orders in their inebriated state. It wasn't a long trip to the hospital but it was long enough to allow Casey Olivia and Liz to fall asleep. Melinda took the opportunity to snap a precious picture of her closest friends.

Melinda and Ciara entered the hospital and spotted Don and John sitting in the waiting area.

"Where is Fin?" asked Melinda.

"He had to go for an x-ray" explained John "so we were told to just wait here until they bring him back." Melinda let out a sigh, it was going to be a long night.

As the night drew on Melinda was worried. It seemed to be taking forever. She got up of her seat to ask at reception about Fin. As she made her way to reception something caught her eye in the parking lot. It was Olivia. Being pushed around in a wheelchair by Casey and Liz.

"Oh dear Lord" she sighed. She waved at John and he came over to her and looked in the direction she was looking in. He immediately burst into laughter at the sight.

"It's not funny John!"

"It kind of is Melinda"

Just then Elliot came through the doors pushing Fin in a wheelchair. He had broken his leg and had a cast on it. He was smiling and Melinda took that to be a good sign.

"Ready to go home baby?" asked Melinda.

"Yes most definitely" replied Fin as he pulled her into his lap and planted a kiss on her cheek.

It was almost four thirty when everyone arrived back at the house. They would only get about 5 hours sleep before they had to get ready for the wedding.

"Wait!" screamed Olivia. Everyone turned and looked at her curiously.

"El its bad luck for you to be here you have to leave" she explained. Elliot understood what she meant. He had already made plans with Ciara to stay at her small cottage with the other men.

"Ok baby I will see you tomorrow. Love you" replied Elliot as he kissed Olivia and left the house accompanied by the other men.

The ladies all scurried upstairs and got changed into their pyjamas quickly before they all piled into Olivia's room. They decided to all sleep in the same room for the night, like a sleepover. It was as though they were all sixteen again. They talked for about an hour before the succumbed to exhaustion. They had a big day ahead.

Xxx

Olivia awoke feeling refreshed. She was surprised to feel so refreshed after last night but was thankful she didn't have a hangover. She was startled by the banging coming from downstairs. It was only then that she realised that all the others were already up. She quickly made her way downstairs to find that the hair stylists and make-up artists had arrived.

"Breakfast first then make up" instructed Casey. It now began to feel real for Olivia. She was marrying the man of her dreams in a matter of hours. Her life would change for the better and she couldn't wait! She quickly ate her breakfast and then set about getting her hair done.

She opted for an old Hollywood glam look with soft curls that hung down to her shoulders. Next was her make up. She again went with old Hollywood glam. The look was topped off with a rich red coloured lipstick. She looked in the mirror. She felt like the most beautiful woman in the world, something she had never felt before.

Next she slipped into her dress. It fit like a glove. It was an ivory-white peplum dress with a lace bodice and capped sleeves. She loved every aspect of the dress and was glad that Liz had spotted it. She was almost ready but only needed help with the zip on her dress. She called for someone to help and was glad when Liz walked through the door.

Over the last two weeks she had grown closer to Liz than she ever expected. She had always had an admiration of Liz but now she knew that Liz was just like her she respected her even more.

"Olivia you look breath-taking"

"Thank you Liz. I want to say thanks for everything also. You are an amazing person and Don is lucky to have you"

Liz couldn't help it as a tear rolled down her cheek. Don was constantly talking about how amazing Olivia was but as she stood in front of this beautiful, brave woman she knew for herself that Olivia Benson was something special.

"Oh Olivia you really are special" said Liz as she wiped away her tears. Olivia didn't know what to say but just hugged Olivia until knock came to the door to inform them that it was time to go.

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Thanks for the reviews! Hope to update again over the weekend...reviews might help me upload faster :P Please review!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

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His eyes filled with tears up as he watched his soon to be wife guide the woman he considered to be his daughter down the mahogany staircase. He tried to hold the tears back but his happiness preceded him and he let them roll one by one down his cheek. She was simply breath-taking. She was always beautiful, but in her line of work Olivia tried to hide her beauty. Today on her wedding day, surrounded by her nearest and dearest, she was radiant.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs and Liz let go of her hand Don extended his and she placed her hand in his before she pulled him into an amorous hug. Olivia had noticed the tears that Don had shed and gently wiped them from his face with the pad of her thumb.

"Don't get me started I don't want to ruin my make up" she whispered in his ear as she let go from his embrace.

"Olivia you are beautiful. Now are we all ready to get this show on the road?" Asked Don trying to lift the mood a little.

"I am" was her simple reply.

As Olivia joined Don in one car and Liz, Melinda, Casey and Ciara drove in another Elliot was waiting anxiously at the church for Olivia. He had replayed this day over and over in his head for over ten years but now, as it was drawing closer, he was getting nervous.

"What if she changed her mind?" He sought answers from Munch and Fin who laughed at his question.

"Listen man, Olivia will be here. Melinda just text to say they are on the way. Just calm down Olivia loves you and she will be here." Answered Fin trying to settle his friend's worries. Elliot took a deep breath and nodded. He prayed that Fin was right.

It wasn't long before everyone had arrived at the church. It was only the svu gang and Ciara present but it was perfect. Olivia and Elliot were surrounded by those who meant most to them.

As the music sounded and the doors at the back of the church opened Elliot's heart stopped as he saw his soon to be wife. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. Today her beauty wasn't hidden, it was on full display and she looked exquisite. Olivia and Don descended gracefully down the aisle and were now beside Elliot. He had such a wide grin on his face that Olivia had to laugh but she knew exactly how he felt.

"All that I am and all that I have, I offer to you in love and in joy.  
From this day forward I will love and comfort you, hold you close,  
prize you above all others,  
and remain faithful to you all the days of our lives. Olivia Benson you have changed me for the better, you are my one, my only love"

"Elliot you are so many things to me, and I am sure you will be many more in our life together. No one is perfect, but with all of your strengths and weaknesses, and with all of mine, together we ARE perfect. You complete me in more ways than I could have thought possible. I knew before my heart did that we were made for each other. Now my heart has caught up, and the joy that I feel from the love that I have for you is incomparable"

With their vows exchanged and the rings exchanged, Elliot and Olivia's hearts raced as the priest said "You may now kiss the bride!"

The others clapped and cheered as Olivia and Elliot kissed for the first time as man and wife.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this very moment" whispered Elliot.

"Believe me I know" giggled Olivia.

As Olivia and Elliot signed their marriage certificate and posed for photos Don and Liz sat at the back of the church taking in the scene in front of them. Don put his arm around Liz's shoulders and she put her head on Don's shoulder and leaned in close to him.

"That will be us someday soon" said Don.

"I can't wait" replied Liz as her lips met Don's.

Once all the pictures were taken everyone made their way to the reception, which was still a surprise. The only person that knew was Don as he had planned it. He drove in front along with Ciara and Liz and was followed by the others.

When he arrived at the destination he was bursting with excitement. He had booked an old barn that had been converted into a ballroom for the reception. He knew Olivia would love it. He had it decorated with thousands of flowers and had arranged for food to be served. He couldn't wait to see everyone's reaction.

From the outside the building looked old. It was stoned on the outside and had large windows at each side. The door was what surprised Olivia the most. It was a large white door, like something you would see on a barn.

As Don slid the heavy door open he revealed a magnificent ballroom. There was one long Central table for all the guests and above the table hung an enormous chandelier. The soft blue lights reflected of the chandelier and sent an array of shimmering lights around the room. Everybody's gasps at the beauty of the room were audible. Don had created the perfect reception for the newlyweds.

Food was served and stories were shared. Tears were shed and laughs were had but it was almost time for the first dance. The band that Don had booked was set up and began to play the soft melody of 'Clown' by Emile Sande.

Elliot and Olivia glided around the floor never once breaking eye contact. It was a magical sight to see two of New York's finest glide around the dance floor. It was such a simple task, yet so affectionate. But like all good things their first dance came to an end and they were joined by their friends on the dance floor. The music became more upbeat and everyone danced around to the music. By request the band played No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen, one of Olivia's favourite songs.

The night was coming to an end when Melinda and Fin took to the stage. Olivia knew that Melinda had an amazing voice and hoped that she was going to sing. When the music began and Olivia recognised the song she laughed. She had told Olivia about this song, the song that was playing the first time Olivia and Elliot had made love. It was Empire State of Mind. Melinda sang while Fin rapped. It was the perfect ending to the night. Just as everyone was about to leave Melinda and Fin handed Elliot and Olivia a small envelope. They had booked them into the honeymoon suite at the local hotel for the night.

"Thanks guys but I'm so tired I'm just going to fall asleep" Joked Elliot.

"Aw that's too bad Elliot I had a night of fun activities planned" replied Olivia with a wink.

"Ok Mel that is our cue to leave but have fun guys" said Fin as he led Melinda to the car.

Olivia and Elliot made it to the hotel in record time and soon enough they began their 'night of activities'.

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So what do you guys think? Please review! I also want to know what you guys think of a sequel?

Thanks for reading x


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

I own nothing

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She really felt like it was all a dream. As Olivia lay in bed staring at the wedding ring on her finger she felt like she was in a dream. But as she looked at the man asleep lying next to her in bed she couldn't help but smile. This was her dream come true.

It was almost 11 am and the house was still silent. Olivia put it down to the fact that everyone had an eventful night last night. It had been the best day of her life. She married the man of her dreams, was walked down the aisle by the man she thought of as a father and was surrounded by her friends, her family.

"You still admiring your ring?" asked Elliot groggily. Olivia laughed, half in shock half in embarrassment that she had been caught staring at her ring again.

"And what if I am?" she responded.

"Well as long as you like it baby. Do you understand the inscription?"

"What inscription?"

Elliot sat up in bed and took Olivia's hand in his own as she gently slipped the ring of her finger. "Look" he prompted as he held it up to the light that flooded in the windows.

'_mo ghrá,mo shaol' _

Olivia knew exactly what it meant. She remembers asking Ciara what it had meant when she had heard a woman say it in the shop one day. She didn't think that Elliot would remember that but this was typical Elliot. He remembered the smallest of things because they knew how much they meant to Olivia.

"Oh Elliot, how did I get so lucky to marry a man like you?"

"I feel the same about you" he replied with a wink as he leant in close to Olivia and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek.

"Mr and Mrs Stabler" shouted Casey from the hallway outside Elliot and Olivia's bedroom "Get up we have something to show you guys"

Olivia and Elliot both rolled their eyes, the just wanted a moment longer in bed alone to relax but that wasn't going to happen.

"What did you want Casey"? asked Olivia as she walked hand in hand with Elliot into the kitchen.

"John found a puppy!" she shrieked excitedly. Olivia laughed as Elliot rolled his eyes.

"Really Casey, you got Olivia and I out of bed the morning after our wedding to see a puppy" exclaimed Elliot.

"It's ok El Olivia loves puppies" replied Casey nonchalantly.

As John stepped aside and allowed everybody to see the tiny puppy that he had found everyone, including the men's hearts melted. It was a small golden retriever puppy that was a bit scruffy and looked as though he had been abandoned.

"Can we keep him John?" asked Casey. John froze. Maybe it was just him but him and Casey sharing a dog seemed like a commitment.

"Yeah of course we can" John replied trying to hide the fact that he as over thinking Casey's question. He looked around and saw that Elliot and Don were looking at him with smirks on their faces, they knew exactly what he was thinking.

As they day turned to night John found himself once again thinking about what Casey had said. His mind was racing. Was Casey ready to make a commitment like that? Was he just over thinking it? What will happen when they fly back to New York tomorrow? He had no answers.

When he and Casey began to pack their bags because of their early flight tomorrow John decided it was time to just go for it and ask Casey where this was going.

"Casey when we get back to New York what is going to happen with this, us?"

"What you mean John? I thought things were going pretty good with us and I was hoping that we could just continue it when we get home"

John smiled as he listened to Casey's reply. It was exactly what he had wanted to hear.

"That's what I was hoping you would say" Said John as he embraced Casey in a warm, loving hug.

Everybody was packed, washed and ready for bed ahead of their early start in the morning. They had all gathered in the living room. Melinda lay with her head against Fin's chest as he placed a protective hand on her abdomen which was home to their growing child. Every time he thought about his child his heart seemed to grow even more. He loved Melinda and he knew that he would love their baby more than anything else. He couldn't wait to meet their little creation and raise it to be a strong, caring child who would have two of the most loving parents around.

Don, Liz and Ciara were all snuggled on the sofa in front of the fire looking through photos from the wedding yesterday. They were laughing as they looked through the pictures of Fin trying to dance with his broken leg. It was quite a sight but only added to the memory of the day.

Elliot and Olivia lay sleeping on the armchair together. Elliot had his arms wrapped around Olivia and it was obvious that they were both happy, as they slept small smiles graced their faces.

The last left in the room were John and Casey who sat on the rug in front of the fire playing with their new pet. They decided to call him Rex. Casey had gone out earlier and bought him a bed to sleep in , some food and a collar.

Before everyone knew it Olivia's alarm had gone off signalling that it was time for them to get up and dresses and head to the airport. It wasn't long before everyone had got in to the mini-bus that awaited them. Ciara cried as she left her home behind and joined her new family in the bus. It wasn't going to be easy adjusting to her new life but she was excited to be starting a new life with Don and Liz.

When the time came for everyone to board the plane Olivia couldn't believe the change in the group from when they arrived in Ireland until now. She had come to Ireland in a relationship but she would leave as a married woman. Casey came single and would leave with her boyfriend John Munch. Melinda and Fin were now awaiting the birth of their first child. She was most happy for Don. He was now engaged and father to Ciara. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if they hadn't of followed Casey here, but she was glad that they had.

The plane ascended into the air and Elliot took Olivia's hand in his.

"I can't wait to start our new life together" he spoke softly as Olivia laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

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_**The End**_

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me to hear your opinions on my writing. I realise that the ending might seem a little rushed but don't be worried, a sequel is in the works! I haven't uploaded it yet but when I do it will be called Reaching New Heights. Make sure to check it out I hope to have it up this weekend!**

**Just to let you know the inscription on Olivia's ring means - my love, my life in Irish !**

**Thanks for reading **** x**


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